Unlucky Bug
by Zushikikatoka
Summary: It's a Friday night. Marinette and Adrien grow closer, leaving Adrien confused by new feelings developing towards his clumsy classmate. It's a night they both enjoy, but a simple act of kindness turns into one of Marinette's biggest regrets. Feelings of being followed and strange letters leave Marinette to fear for her life. How does Adrien react when disaster strikes?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey Guys!**

 **This is my First story on Fanfiction. In all honesty, I'm not the best writer, I kinda suck. However, I always come up with so many story ideas that I can't help but write them. Anyways, there will most likely be a ton of mistakes but bear with me.**

 **Thanks! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Miraculous.**

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Today was Friday. However, it wasn't just any Friday. Tonight was a night that Marinette was not going to be spending in her room doing whatever her usual activity is on Fridays. Whether it was designing a new piece, catching up on homework, watching a movie with her little red friend, or patrolling the streets with her leather clad partner. Each Friday night may be different but each one of them had something in common. Like every other day, no matter the activity Marinette busied herself with, her mind always wandered off thinking of a certain blonde that sits in front of her in class. Sulking, because she could be spending that time with him, but only if it weren't for that stupid stunning smile he gives her every time she tries to talk to him, she could probably speak in full sentences. If it weren't for that smile that makes her heart race, knees weak, and choke out stuttered words and broken sentences. She could be spending precious Friday nights with her beloved Adrien, walking the streets of Paris, sharing a shake, then getting Married, buying a home and having a couple kids with a dog, and maybe a cat?. If it weren't for that stupid smile. But she always ends up embarrassing herself.

Tonight however, she wasn't going to be spending it thinking of what she could have been doing with the Model. No, she is going to be living it!...with Alya and Nino of course, but it was a start! Alya's genius planning has constructed a perfect night with her friends and Marinette was more than excited to finally spend time with her long term crush.

So here she was, digging through the piles of clothes trying to find the perfect outfit to catch Adrien's eye. But nothing satisfied her, nothing she could think of that he could possibly like. Frustrated, Marinette dove face down onto her pink Chaise with a large groan. Catching the small red and black spotted Kwami's attention, she flew out of her small hiding spot and hovered over her keeper with a concerned look.

"Everything ok Marinette?" Tikki's small voice cause Marinette to turn and look and the small creature.

"I'm done for Tikki, I can't find a single thing to wear that will impress Adrien" Marinette puffed her cheeks, obviously irritated with her current situation. The model seemed to always ignore any girl who threw themselves at him. To Marinette's surprise, he even ignored the drop dead gorgeous ones. Ones that she knew no other guy can resist. However, her beloved Adrien always managed to kindly reject their flirtations and romantic gestures. Even on the queen brat herself. If Adrien was rejecting all these girls, what kind of girl did he really like? and did Marinette really have a chance?

"Oh, Marinette" Tikki let out a small chuckle and hovered closer to her chosen. "Why does it matter? you look stunning in anything you wear, besides, wouldn't you rather have Adrien fall for all of you than just your looks?"

Like if that simple topic hadn't crossed her mind, Marinette's face lit up in realization. "I guess you are right Tikki." Marinette jumped up with Pride. "Adrien should like me for me and if he can't see that then... then I'm going to die sad and lonely while he Marries some other gorgeous model" She sulked, as if all her confidence was sucked out of her within a few seconds.

"Marinette! don't be like that" Tikki giggled "everything will turn out ok, but you haven't much time left, stop sulking and get ready!"

"Oh gosh! I only have 10 minutes until they pick me up! I have to hurry!" Marinette quickly grabbed a few pieces of clothing and rushed to put them on. Within seconds she wore a simple white, off-shoulder, long sleeve shirt that snugged nicely tucked under a short, red flowy skirt. Shear black tights hugged her legs, and she slid on some light brown ankle high boots. Dark locks fell a little past her shoulders, framing her face. With a few twirls for Tikki to judge her 10 second outfit, Marinette felt ready to face her beloved Adrien.

"What do you think Tikki? Is it too simple?"

"You look great Mari" The small Kwami giggled as she watched her keeper pose for the mirror, trying to get a good look at every angle.

"Do you think he will notice?" Staring at her reflection, Marinette gave one last look at herself with a doubtful frown.

"I'm sure of it Mari, He hasn't seen you wear something like this before" Tikki hovered next to Marinette.

"Marinette! your friends are here!" Sabine's muffled voice called for her daughter only to have Marinette jump and the nerves come crashing in even before she came face to face with Adrien.

"On my way!" Marinette managed to squeak. She instantly started to Panic. "Tikki! he is here! oh my Gosh! what am I going to say to him?"

"Relax Mari! Go have a good time with your friends and don't overthink things" Tikki reassured once more before sliding into Marinette's usual small purse she carries around. Marinette quickly gathered her things to run down the stairs, almost trip, and present herself in front of her friends. Alya walked towards her stumbling best friend and gave her a quick hug. Her arms wrapped tightly around Marinette's stiff body, whom was nervously staring at the smiling blonde that stood by her front door. He was handsome, rocking designer clothing and flashing her a quick smile. Tonight was definitely going to be a night she will melt.

"Hey girl, you look adorable, don't you think Adrien?" Alya flashed a quick glance at the model who awkwardly stood by the door staring at the small stiff figure of Marinette. She was definitely something different tonight.

"You look great Marinette!" Adrien nervously rubbed the back of his neck, a faint hue of light pink dusted on his cheeks. why did he suddenly feel nervous in her presence?

Marinette however was more than nervous. His sudden compliment made her heart run a million miles per hour with nerves shaking her entire body with pure happiness. "T-Thank you" She barely managed to squeak out without embarrassing herself like usual. He noticed, and he was nervous. Was this a good thing? or was he just being nice because Alya pointed it out for him? Either way, Marinette was happy and she was excited for the upcoming events.

Before things got awkward Nino's voice broke the silence. "You look great Mari, Are we ready to go?" Marinette looked up at him with an apologetic gaze, she didn't even notice he was there. She was to busy aweing over Adrien.

After giving her parents a quick goodbye hug, she joined her friends for an exciting night ahead.

* * *

Marinette stood nervously with skates in her hand and fearful gaze at the skating rink upon her. Instead of tonight being the best night, it was going to be humiliating. Surely her best friend had forgotten how clumsy Marinette could be before planning tonight's activities. Had it not crossed her mind? Adrien was definitely going to laugh at her. Marinette's thought ran through her mind in a panicked rush, coming up with various situations on how tonight could go terribly wrong.

"Relax girl, I know you are the queen of clumsy" Alya's reassuring voice spoke from behind the Bluenette " I chose this spot for a reason"

"Please tell me it does not require me falling on my face in front of Adrien and forever humiliating me until my grave" Marinette stiffened at the thought of falling flat on her face and hearing everyone laugh at her clumsy fall, including Adrien's harmonious laugh.

"Uhm, well" Alya hesitated avoiding contact with her best friend. This was obviously not a good sign to Marinette, as she realized that her best friend was planning something that could either ruin or strengthen her relationship with Adrien.

"What is it?" Not amused with her, Marinette waiting impatiently, arms crossed and glaring a disappointed look into Alya's hesitant figure.

"It won't go bad, unless things go well" Alya nervously looked and the beaming bluenette that was currently not happy with her.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Just trust me on this, and try to relax" Alya slowly led Marinette on to a bench next to the boys. Clearly unamaused with her best friend Marinette slowly gave in and hoped that whatever Alya was planning would run smoothly.

Adrien caught her gaze, and she immediately felt relaxed. He was slowly sliding in his feet in his skate on the bench across form her. Maybe tonight won't be as bad as she had thought. His green eyes looked back up at her and he gave her a quick smile. Marinette blushed and looked away from the model, quickly trying to put on her skates.

As soon as all four of the teens were ready to enter the rink full of people, Marinette hesitated. She watched as everyone else smoothly rolled on and she stood there, trembling in fear of falling as soon as she enters the rink. She was wobbly and holding tightly onto the half walls of the rink. She knew this was not going to end well if she was already this off balanced on the carpet. How pathetic that Paris' dear super heroine was able to tackle scary akumas but not a mere skating rink. In battle with her thoughts Marinette failed to notice that she was approached by a hand,

"Alya told me you have never been skating before, I'll be happy to teach you if you'd like" A familiar voice joined in and Marinette looked up at the owner of the hand. Adrien stood there, offering his hand and a gorgeous smile that made her even more off balanced than she already was. Adrien chuckled softly at the poor Bluenette as she helplessly clung to the wall. "Trust me, it is not as fun when you are always glued to the wall. If you let me help you, I promise I won't let you fall, what do you say?"

"A-alright" Marinette hesitantly took Adrien's hand and allowed him to pull her out into the rink. Now she was helplessly clinging onto him, but she didn't mind. His hand was soft but firm, making sure she didn't fall.

"Relax, try to stand straight, but don't lock your knees" He informed, slowly supporting her as she wobbled in front of him. With a deep breath Marinette slowly pulled herself up to stand, still a little wobbly she tried to maintain and good posture. "Good now slightly bend your knees and lean forward" She did as he told and soon enough she felt herself become more steady. "Great! this is the best posture when skating. If you fall, you will fall backwards and not on your face. But don't worry, that isn't going to happen to you, I promise to catch you. Ready to start moving?"

With a nervous gaze Marinette nodded and tightened her grip. They began to slowly start moving, Adrien gently holding onto her and maneuvering her so gracefully. Within a few minutes Marinette was quick to get the hang of it and slowly released her grip from the model. Gaining more and more confidence with every rolling step, she was now able to freely depart from his grip and freely skate at his side. Frowning at the fact that they were no longer physically touching but happy she can peacefully enjoy his company, skating at his side. Both teenagers were enjoying their time laughing, joking, talking to each other while enjoying the rush of skating, weaving through the crowd of people in the rink.

For the first time ever, Marinette was finally able to spend quality time with Adrien, not noticing that she was starting to stutter less and actually conversing with her former crush. Adrien however did notice, and he was more than happy that Marinette was growing more and more comfortable in his presence, she even laughed at his pun!

"You caught on to the art of skating so fast, I nearly forgot that you were holding on to your dear life on the wall when were first came in" Adrien laughed.

"Ha. Ha! F-funny, maybe you are jealous that the student has surpassed her teacher" Marinette teasingly punched his arm. She was still very hesitant around him but in no doubt did she become more comfortable.

"You wound me with your false words" Adrien playfully placed a hand on his heart ,pretending to be hurt. This earned him a cute giggle from the bluenette and he smiled, feeling rather accomplished. Marinette couldn't help but think that Chat Noir would've said the same thing.

"I bet I can catch up to Nino and Alya faster than you"

"A race? You are so on" Adrien gave her a competitive look.

"Loser buys milkshakes" Marinette finally added before they began their small mission to catch up to their best friends. Their race required a much faster paced skating than Marinette was used too, however, that did not stop her. The adrenaline and the wind blowing past her skin was much like the rooftop getaways patrolling the city with Chat Noir. She enjoyed it just as much. Both teens were inching closer to their best friends who were skating hand in hand. "Alya!" Marinette called out. Reaching her attention, Alya looked behind her watching the bluentte and a blonde approach her at a high speed. She panicked, fearing that Marinette would come crashing into her resulting to both of them falling and being forever humiliated until both their deaths. Although, that was not the case. Marinette and Adrien both slowed down and quickly came to a stop before crashing into their best friends.

"Victory!" Marinette cheered.

"I believe it was a tie" Adrien crossed his arms and grinned at the bluenette, stomping at her small celebration. Taken a back, Alya looked at the two. She knew her plan would work, but she didn't know it would work this well. Marinette spoke to her crush with smooth and clear sentences, simply being herself around him and he was slowly starting to notice her more. This was perfect and it was soon time to begin her next plan.

"What was that all about?" Nino questionly looked at the two.

"We challenged each other to a race" Adrien added "And I think we both owe each other milkshakes now"

"Well it's about time we see you two" Alya chuckled. Looking at both their blushing faces, clearly feeling guilty. "Don't feel bad, me and Nino don't mind some Privacy" Alya soon added as she grabbed hold of her boyfriend's arm, looking at him with Adoring eyes. "However, I would like to spend sometime with my best friend"

"Of course" Adrien smiled and skated ahead with Nino. Alya and Marinette followed close behind the two boys.

"So you seem to have caught on quick" Alya smirked "and have gotten closer to Adrien"

"Yeah, I really owe you a big thanks, and sorry for ever doubting your attempts" Marinette nervously looked at her best friend "I'm having such a great time, and I think I have a bigger crush on him than before"

"And to think, plan B hasn't even begun" Alya laughed

"Plan B?"

"Trust me girl, you'll love what I'm about to do next, or you'll hate it, if it all goes wrong" Alya grinned, seeing her friend slightly panic at her words.

"Don't do anything stupid" Marinette sighed.

"I won't, let's hurry up and Catch up to the boys" Alya slightly giggle at her best friend. Quickly catching up to the boys, Marinette once again planted herself next to Adrien while Alya and Nino followed close behind. It was time to call for her next plan, which consisted of her "accidentally" bumping into Marinette, just enough to push her into Adrien. Marinette will surely melt in pure happiness.

Alya's plan was interrupted though as a tall thin man came crashing down on Marinette. This only caused a Domino affect and resulted to Marinette falling onto Adrien, who somehow didn't loose balance and quickly caught Marinette in his arms.

Embraced in her crushes arms she stiffened. He held onto her tightly and close, so warm and strong. Her chest fluttered, painted pink cheeks, weak knees, she felt like she was going to melt with joy. She couldn't move, this moment felt so perfect.

"Are you ok?" Adrien's quiet words slipped his mouth, never looking away from her. Her bluebell eyes stared back at his and he felt drawn to them. Something about them he recognized, but with no doubt they were beautiful. He was feeling something he has never felt before. His chest pounded, much like how his Lady made him feel, but this was Marinette. She was cute, very cute, has he never noticed?

"T-thank you" Marinette nervously whispered.

"I kept my promise" Adrien softly smiled, something about this moment felt perfect, and for some reason he didn't want to let go of her. He liked the feeling of her small figure pressed up against him in his embrace. However, her attention was pulled away from a voice behind her and she departed from his arms.

"It's over! I hate you, you stupid coward! You can never do anything right! Go dig yourself a hole and never show your face again! You are better off dead, you worthless piece of trash!" A woman's voice boomed in the middle of the rink catching everyone's attention. Marinette turned to see the scene unfold in front of her. A young woman, no older than her early twenties stood before a man sprawled on the floor in front of her. Dressed in expensive clothing, bejeweled with pricey accessories, she seemed well off. Her face was angrily pretty, painted with a mask of make up, and her brown hair seemed well treated. In no doubt did she have loads of money. She was obviously enraged with the man before her, if looks could kill, her brown eyes would've burn right through him. "It was never meant to be, I never loved you! What kind of a man mistakes a Kicheal Mors bag for a hideous knock off one? And this horrendously cheap 12 Karats necklace?! really? I specifically told you I wanted 24 Karat!"

This woman sounded much like Chloe to Marinette.

"I'm sorry Ally, I promise it will never happen again, just please don't leave me, I love you!" The man stumbled onto his knees, pleading at the woman.

"No! I hate you! you take me here, in this cheap place and expect me to have a good time? and you still have the nerve to give me such a cheap necklace?" She scowled. "I could have ruined my nails rolling around like a fool in this dirty place! I don't want to ever see your sorry cheap ass ever again! Besides, I've already started seeing someone else who can give me all, goodbye Jasper" The woman rolled off the rink and made her way to the exit, leaving the poor man sobbing on the floor with all eyes on his shaken figure. Quiet whispers soon emerged, as everyone stayed in their place, watching the poor man break down in front of them.

Feeling pity for him, Marinette slowly made her way to the man and offered a hand. The man seemed to be in his late twenties, seemingly well off. He was disheveled, his messy dark hair fell just above his grey eyes. Tears stained his cheeks and bags fell under his eyes. A rough hand pulled back on his locks while he quietly broke down in the middle of the rink.

"Are you alright?" Marinette softly spoke. He looked up at her with a chilling gaze of his cloudy grey eyes. Not saying a word he continued to stare at the uneasy teenager. "Jasper was it? I'm sorry you had to go through that, but don't listen to her words" Marinette knelt down next to him. "I don't know what happened exactly but she clearly only loved your money, and you deserve so much more. Don't let her words hurt you" She smiled at him lending her hand once more. He looked at her with a softer gaze this time. Studying her intentions and he slowly reached for her hand. Marinette pulled him up to stand and slowly lead him outside the rink, allowing everyone to resume to their skating. "I'm sure their is someone out there that will love you for who you are" Marinette continued as she helped him sit in a bench.

"t-thank you" Jasper stared at the girl who smiled sweetly at him.

"No problem! Just keep your head up" Marinette smiled once more before she turned around to rejoin with her crush, but she was stopped by a strong grip at her wrist.

"You never gave me your name" His voice was chilling.

"Oh! uh Sorry, My name is Marinette" Marinette gently pulled away from his grip and gave him one last smile. She finally turned and joined her friends in the rink.

"Girl what was that all about?"Alya pulled her closer, suspiciously looked behind her friend to find the man blankly staring at her best friend. "He totally gives out this creepy Vibe!"

"Relax Alya, I was just trying to help him out, I just felt bad, you know?" Marinette nervously spoke.

"I swear one of these days your kindness is going to get you in big trouble" Alya rolled her eyes. "You are just too sweet for your own good"

"yeah, yeah, quit over reacting mom" Marinette laughed, her small remark made Alya give her an annoyed sigh. The two soon joined Nino and Adrien and all of them continued to skate a bit longer.

Marinette couldn't forget what had happened before the whole scene, Adrien was holding her so close. A bright red blush illuminated in her cheeks, she could still feel the left over warmth of his body pressed against her own. Adrien smiled at her and slowly pulled her out of dream land. They continued skating with their friends. Tonight was definitely a good night.

Between the laughing and constant teasing amongst the group, Marinette failed to notice that the man with messy dark hair and grey eyes continue staring, unmoved from his seat. However, a certain blond did, and it made him feel very uneasy.

* * *

The skating rink had closed and now it was time for the teens to call it a night, however, they didn't want to. So the teens find themselves sitting at the booth of a late night food joint after Marinette mentioned that Adrien owed her a milkshake.

"Tonight was so fun! we really need to do this more often, like every weekend" Alya's comment was soon followed by agreements within the booth.

"Let's go stargazing next weekend, I heard there is suppose to be a meteor shower" Nino added.

"Yes!" Alya jumped with excitement, slightly startling both Marinette and Adrien. "This has to happen!"

"Sounds fun! My dad has a cabin in the mountains, we could camp in the back yard" Adrien smiled.

"Yes! Marinette you HAVE to come" Alya looked at her best friend with pleading eyes from across the table.

"Well, I'm not sure" Marinette shrugged shyly. "it sounds fun but I'm not sure if my parents would need my help running the bakery"

"I'm sure they can manage in one weekend"

"I guess" In reality, Marinette was more scared of an Akuma attacking if she were to leave, but she couldn't tell her friends that now.

"I hope you can come Mari, It would be a lot of fun if you were there" Adrien gave the bluenette a warm smile and she melted.

"O-okay" Marinette was now clearly hypnotized by his charm, how could she ever deny that gorgeous face?

Their milkshakes finally had arrived and a new topic emerged for conversing. they laughed and joked with each other in the booth. Marinette getting to know more of Adrien's sense of humor, which turns out, he is a big fan of puns. Sometimes Adrien would give her a smile and other times it was just a small one and one conversation between the two, as the couple sitting across from them made things awkward with their affection towards another. Marinette was feeling comfortable with Adrien and falling harder than ever. Adrien however, started to notice more how adorable Marinette really is, she gave him the precious feeling, making him want to spend more time with her. He was interested, really interested in getting to know more about his clumsy classmate who he never got the chance to actually know because of her stuttering state and shy character whenever he was around.

His gaze drifted from Marinette's cute laugh and he saw a figure sitting at the bar. He was looking right over at him, with a weary vibe. He looked familiar, and it made Adrien uncomfortable. However, Adrien wasn't the only one who saw the man.

"Hey..." Alya's playful tone suddenly became serious "Mari, isn't that the guy from the Skating rink?"

Marinette stopped giggling and turned to look at the man who was sitting at the bar. The man's stern gaze softened and he smiled.

"I thought I recognized those cute pigtails, what a coincidence" The man waved and slowly made his way to the booth. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Why is it your business?" Alya hissed, she clearly wasn't buying his act. Adrien and Nino stayed quiet, cautiously watching the scene unfold, they both knew something was off, including Alya.

"Alya!" Marinette hissed back at her best friend, shooting her a quick glare. "Ah, Sorry... uhm but we just came for a Milkshake, what brings you here?"

Marinette was clearly a little uncomfortable, and Adrien was alarmed.

"well just came to get a refreshment, trying to get over what happened, I guess..." He smiled.

"Oh sure! you seemed to be getting over things pretty well" Alya once more growled at him. "There are real bars for that you know"

"Alya!" Marinette shot her one last glance.

"Wow, it's getting rather late, Maybe we should call it a night?" Adrien quickly butted in, trying to avoid the situation.

"Yeah, I agree" Alya glared at the man as she quickly grabbed her best friend by the arm and pulled her away "C'mon Marinette, we have to get you home"

"Ah, ok..uhm, bye" Marinette slowly waved, feeling a little relived that she was able to escaped the odd situation with the help of her friends. The two boys followed the girls out and quickly left the restaurant.

"That was rather odd" Nino mentioned.

"I don't trust that guy, there is something fishy about him." Alya scowled "Marinette promise me you will never see that guy again, that was more than a simple coincidence, I think he followed us"

"You guys are overreacting" Marinette rolled her eyes. "This place isn't far from the skating rink, I'm sure it was just a simple coincidence"

"Mari! How could you be so dense?" Alya scolded her best friend. "That guy was staring you down big time, and there are plenty of other places near the skating rink to mope around a break up for"

"Maybe he isn't a drinker?" Marinette added, only to throw more fuel to the fire. Alya clearly seemed frustrated with her best friend's defensive stance for the man. Before things got any worse between the two, Adrien took the chance to break it off. "I think we should just let it go and sleep on it, let's not get this weird guy in the way of our friendship" Adrien added. "I'll walk Marinette home, you guys get home safely alright?"

Alya took a step back, realizing that it was useless to let this get in the way of her friendship with Marinette. Taking a deep breath she quickly agreed with the blonde and hugged her best friend goodbye, splitting up with her two friends and leaving with Nino. It was now Adrien and Marinette alone once again and they walked. Slowly strolling through the streets of Paris in awkward silence.

Leaving the odd situations of the night behind her, all she was thinking about was that her crush was walking her home...alone...at night. She was nervous but excited and she tried sooo hard to keep her cool. Restraining herself from tackling him and cuddling him, then marrying him and having two...no, three kids, a dog and a hamster, maybe even a pet turtle named Steve. Then they could enjoy a family trip to the beach and Adrien will kiss her at sundown and she will forever be happy...

Adrien however, was thinking about other things. Thinking about how much he enjoyed spending time with her. How oddly cute she was being right now, staring dreamingly in front of her.

"What are you thinking about?" Adrien broke the silence and Marinette jumped off of cloud nine and crashed right back into reality. She seemed nervous now, and she stumbled at her step.

"N-nothing!" Marinette blushed and gave him a nervous goofy smile. He must not know the future she has already planned for each other.

"Alright" Adrien giggled and the bluenette slowly relaxed at his side. "You know what?"

"Hm?" She hummed.

"I really enjoyed spending time with you tonight, Mari" Adrien kept his gaze ahead of him, he didn't need to look at her to know that she was staring at him, surprise and pink.

"M-me too" She added

"I hope you can come next week, it won't be fun without you" This time Adrien looked over at her and she was now looking away, clearly thinking.

"I think I will be able to go, if you really want me too" She spoke nervously, keeping her eyes off of him

"Really? That's great!" Adrien cheered "Although, I would like to take you out sometime. Spend time with you alone before next weekend"

"Y-you what?" Marinette was now looking at him, stunned at his request that she was not expecting.

"yeah, it would be fun hanging out with you again, and I want to get to know you better"

"YES!...I-I mean, y-yeah sure!" Marinette said nervously, accidently showing a little too much excitement.

"great! I believe someone still owes me a milkshake" Adrien nudged her and gave her a quick wink.

"what?! why?"

"I believe there was a tie, so we both get each other milkshakes"

"Ooh" Marinette giggle "Okay deal"

"great! I'm excited!" Adrien added.

They soon came to the small corner bakery. Surprisingly to Adrien he didn't want this night to end. "Thank you for walking me home" Marinette smiled at him. He was slightly taken aback and wasn't expecting her to flash him such a cute smile.

"n-no problem" This time Adrien was hesitant.

"Can I ask you something?"

"sure"

"How come you didn't call your body guard to drive you home like usual?" Adrien blushed at her question, she got him.

"ah, well that...uhm" Adrien nervously rubbed the back his neck, giving the a girl a nervous smile. "Honestly, I wanted to spend more time with you. Plus, it gives me some freedom"

This time it was Marinette]turn to quiver with nerves. Her blush was as red as lady bug and she could not stop. "T-thank you"

Adrien chuckled, she was definitely a cute sight to see. The relaxed vibe was soon broken. Loud footsteps were heard from a distance next to them and both the teen's super hero instincts kick in. Their heads turned to see the empty sidewalk ahead and they both became uneasy.

"Did you hear that?" Marinette asked.

"Yeah...I think it's time to call it a night" Adrien didn't move, he studied the dark sidewalk, wishing he had his Chat Noir's night vision right now.

"Do you want to wait inside for your driver?" Marinette gave him a worried look.

"No that's ok, I'll walk home" He gave her a quick smile and then alerted back his gaze onto the dark sidewalk.

"But.." Marinette sighed "at least take home some cookies, and make sure to text me when you arrive"

"Cookies?" Marinette now had his full attention. His eyes lit up with excitement, smiling widely.

"Yeah" She giggled. "I'll be right back" Her small figure unlocked the bakery door and disappear behind the glass. Adrien waited impatiently, still watching closely at his surroundings. It didn't take long for Marinette to come back with a small pink box.

"Here, we made one too many for a costumer who ordered these cookies so we have a bunch of extras" Marinette handed Adrien the box.

"thank you Mari" Adrien smiled once more. "Have a goodnight, and I hope to see you soon"

"Goodnight!" she waved him goodbye as he slowly disappeared in the dark.

* * *

"Tikki! I think I've fallen harder for him!" Marinette twirled around in her room before falling onto her rolling chair. Swiftly turning the chair to a stop to look at Adrien's picture in awe. The little red kwami appeared from hiding, giggling at her holders current dreamy state.

"Oh Mari, you are so hopeless" The small Kwami sat on the desk and started munching on a cookie.

"He smiled at me Tikki! and he was so close when he caught me!" Sighing deeply she laid back on the chair and she became limp. Remembering his gorgeous emerald orbs staring right into her. Remembering the feeling of weak knees and a rapid pulse. His warmth still lingering. "He was so strong, I can still feel his arms wrapped around me...Did you see his eyes? and I talked to him in full sentences!"

"Mari, I was in your purse"

Tonight, Marinette considered it a success. She was slowly but surely getting closer to Adrien than she ever has before. She even managed to get him to WANT to spend more time with her. Nothing had made her feel more happier than the small sweet memories they have created tonight. She was ready to make more, and hopefully get closer to him.

"Why is he so perfect Tikki? I hope he got home safely"

"it's only been like five minutes"

"What if something bad happened to him?!" Marinette jumped up from her chair. "We have to go save him! Tikki, sp-"

"No! Marinette, you need to calm down, I'm sure nothing will happen to Adrien. In a few minutes he will text you, you'll see" Tikki was quick to stop the teen. "However, I do want to talk about that man at the rink"

"Why?"

"I don't know but I wasn't getting a good feeling from him, he made me feel really uneasy, and I didn't even look at him." Tikki floated back down to he spot on the desk, carrying Marinette's confused gaze with her. "I think Alya is right, that was not a coincidence running into him at the restaurant. Try to be more careful, especially if you 'Coincidentally' run into him again"

"I just felt bad for him, I thought cheering him up would help" Marinette slumped back down on her chair.

"I get it Mari, you're such a kindhearted person" Tikki added "I'm not saying to stop doing what you are doing, just be more careful and alert"

"Thanks Tikki" Marinette softly chuckled. "I guess I should listen to you and my friends and be more alert if I see him again"

"We are just trying to look out for you Mari" Tikki giggled and gave her holder a small hug on the nose.

Marinette stood up and started getting ready for bed, Still waiting on that message from Adrien.

* * *

Adrien finally arrived home, thankfully Natalie didn't question his tardiness, nor did he receive and scolding. Maybe she was saving it for the morning?

As soon as he reached his room he made his way to his bed and threw himself on it. Plagg flew from hiding and begged for cheese. After, constant bickering, Adrien finally gave in and handed his Kwami some cheese. All he could think of at the moment was how much fun he had spending his night with mainly Marinette. Her eyes were very similar to his lady's eyes, as well as her smile. But there was something more to Marinette. Ladybug was so mysterious, and so well guarded, she refused to even let anything that had to do with her personal life slip her tongue, no matter how hard he tried to get her to open up to him. Marinette was so openly kind and cute. The more he spent time with her, the more he got to see who she really was. But wait...why was he comparing the two girls? They were OBVIOUSLY two different girls. Could it be that..

"Watcha thinking Kid?" Plagg could see right through Adrien's hard thinking and his sudden voice snapped him back to reality.

"About tonight." Adrien blushed.

"Correction, about the girl" Plagg munched on his cheese, and did not find Adrien's useless defense to think otherwise a surprise. The boy was red, and he could not hide that from him.

"What? No!...well yeah but, not in that way" Adrien nervously spoke.

"Uhuh, like I'm going to believe that. Could it be that our little Adrien is developing some feelings for someone that is not Ladybug, someone he might actually have a chance with?" Plagg added

"Plagg! it's not like that, I just had a good time with her and I'm interested in getting to know her better, I never really had the chance too" Adrien laid back on his bed and sighed "Besides, what kind of fool would fall in love with a girl that they barely officially start to know better"

"May I remind you that you basically fell in love with Ladybug the first time you two fought the first Akuma" Plagg smirked and Adrien face palmed "Plus, you have known this girl for sometime now"

"But that's different" Adrien groaned.

"Also that weird dude from the rink falls in love with girls he just meets"

"What are you talking about?" Adrien sat back up, now looking at his Kwami in confusion.

"The man was obviously obsessing over this girl"

"Yeah, I guess it was a little weird, he watched her skate after the whole scene and then he watched her at the restaurant, I get a weird feeling from him."

"You forgot to mention that he followed you guys home"

"No I don't think he went that far, that's just plain creepy"

"Kid, don't ignore it. He was there. I saw him. Remember those footsteps?" Plagg rolled his eyes

"Yeah but that could have been anybody." Adrien shrugged and laid back down.

"Whatever you say kid, but just be more careful, and tell that girl to stop being so nice to everyone or they will follow her home" Plagg rolled his eyes and gave up trying to convince the teenager.

"I'm sure you're wrong Plagg" Adrien sighed and reached for his phone. He almost forgot to text Marinette that he made it home safely.

* * *

 _ **Adrien:** Home Safe! sorry to worry you._

 _ **Marinette** : Thank goodness! I'm glad :)_

 _ **Adrien:** Thanks for tonight btw. I really did have fun, did I mention you looked really cute today?_

 _ **Marinette:** Thanks! I had a lot of fun too :D_

 _ **Adrien:** Remember, you still owe me that Milkshake._

 _ **Marinette:** why didn't you ask while we were at the restaurant? lol_

 _ **Adrien:** what would be the point on that when we could buy our own? plus, I wouldn't have an excuse to spend more time with you again ;)_

 _ **Marinette:** Trust me, You don't need one._

 _ **Adrien:** What's that suppose to mean?_

 _ **Marinette:** I have to go to bed, Tired and I have to work in the bakery tomorrow morning. Goodnight Adrien_

 _ **Adrien** : Alright, Goodnight Mari, Sweet dreams_

* * *

 _"_ Tikki! He just flirted with me! Pinch me! I swear I'm dreaming" Marinette squealed with excitement.

"Mari, Go to bed"

* * *

"Your face will permanently have that stupid smile plastered on if you keep making that weird face" Plagg rolled his eyes. "go to bed Romeo"

"We are just friends!" Adrien added before rolling onto the bed.

"Uhuh, Sure, keep telling yourself that kid"

* * *

 **Boom!**

 **I hope you enjoyed reading my totally bomb chapter one, that completely exploded into a mess. Oh my goodness, I need to be a better writer. Though I don't think it was that bad. Tell me watcha think, yeah? and I'll continue writing. Anyways, thanks so much for reading through it. It may have seemed a little boring and Adrien's and Marinette's relationship may seem a little rushed but** **I promise you the story gets better, if you bear with me. Also part of that is that I'm not that great of a writer. The reason why it my feel so rushed and slow is because I want the story to kind of start of with a strong foundation in their relationship because there will be a lot more going on in the story.**

 **Thanks for reading! Write me reviews and I will very much appreciate it!**

 **Much Love 3**

 **~Sushi Zushi~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Woohoo! Chapter 2!**

 **I want to thank you all for the love and support, it seriously made my day when I read all your reviews. Also, for those who gave me some advice and pointers, Thanks a ton! After reading all your reviews I was super motivated into writing the next chapter and here it is. I was planning on updating sooner but when I was editing , it somehow deleted all the edits and a little bits of the chapter. Sooo because of that, this chapter is a little shorter.**

 **Anyways... Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer- I don't own Miraculous Ladybug**

* * *

The morning sun Illuminated into the massive room through the large windows of Adrien's room. Adrien finished showering and getting ready for a busy day ahead. Last night's memories lingered in his head, today was going to be tough if his attention was elsewhere. He made his way to the dining room, walking through the empty halls of the enormous mansion. This already put the model in a bad mood. Just a few hours ago he wasn't feeling lonely and disappointed, he was enjoying his time and laughing a long side his friends. He spent his night getting closer to a friend whom he grew very fond of.

As he entered the dining space Nathalie was already there waiting for him. She stood right next to his usual spot on the large empty table. "Good morning Adrien" Nathalie spoke without looking at him, instead her attention was focused on her phone typing away at something important. She was in her usual business attire and her dark locks were neatly tied out of her face. She carried a binder under her arm and her large glasses reflected the screen of the phone she was holding.

"Morning" Adrien sighed and sat down at an empty table, ready to listen to what his father had planned for him today.

"You have your first photoshoot at 1 today, so you are free this morning until noon" Nathalie informed him. "Your father has scheduled 2 more photoshoots and piano lessons today"

"Wow, what an easy day" Adrien relaxed a bit. Most of his weekends consisted of activities that lasted all day. Today his father was giving him a break.

"Your father thinks you have been working hard so he is giving you some days to relax a little bit"

"That's new..." Adrien mumbled, quietly enough for it to not reach Nathalie's ears.

"What would you like for breakfast? The chef was offering pancakes"

"you say I don't have anything until noon today right?" Adrien had an idea.

"Correct"

" Let's eat out today" Adrien smiled. "By the way Natalie, do you think father would allow me and my friends to used his cabin?"

* * *

Saturday mornings were usually busy at the bakery. Everyone wanted to treat themselves with something sweet to start their days. Marinette usually helped her parents out in the bakery every Saturday morning, serving customers and cashing them out. Her Father hid in the back baking up new treats, while her mother occasionally helped out at either end.

"Mari Sweetie" Sabine's voice hummed behind Marinette.

"yes Maman?" Marinette responded, while cashing out a customer. "Thank you for coming, Enjoy your day!" She waved her costumer good bye and turned to see her mother.

"Could you take this, and hand it to the young man in table 3? I'll take care of the costumers here" Sabine handed her daughter a tray of pastries and mugs filled with Hot Chocolate before stepping in and taking her place at the register. "Thank you sweetie"

"Sure Maman." Marinette quickly made her way outside, where some tables and chairs were set up for costumers that wanted to enjoy the fresh air. There was a young man sitting alone, reading a newspaper that covered his face. The only thing Marinette could see was his golden locks peeking out from above the paper. She made her way towards him and sat the tray down on the table. "Here you go, two hot chocolates, a chocolate croissant and a strawberry croissant."

"Good Morning Marinette" The young man dropped his newspaper and set it aside, only to reveal the one and only Adrien Agreste. He flashed her a smile and caught her by surprise, she sure wasn't expecting to see him this morning.

"A-Adrien, w-what brings you h-here" It's as if all her relaxation from being around him left and she was struggling to clearly talk to him again. She slightly blushed at his smile, there was a certain sparkle in his eyes and it made him look even more handsome.

"Well, I'm free until noon, so I thought why not have breakfast at my favorite bakery? Besides, I didn't want to spend another Saturday morning eating my breakfast alone" He relaxed, taking a quick sip from his hot chocolate.

"You w-want me to eat with you?"

"Yeah! or else I bought the extra hot chocolate and strawberry croissant for nothing" Adrien pouted. Oh dear...Oh my dear cheese and crackers on top of the Eiffel tower. Marinette was going to melt. For the first time, Adrien is giving her a puppy look, her only weakness besides the model himself. With the combination of both, she was so overwhelmed that she was going to explode in pure happiness. How could anybody say no to that face? But she was hesitant, and nervous once again, barely even able to choke out a couple words.

"I-, W-w-work, Ma-man, Love too! I mean!-" She was completely red now, Adrien couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction.

"Relax Mari, I already asked your mom if it was ok for you to take a break, she agreed"

"W-what, really?" She looked at the blonde as he chuckled and nodded. "Then I guess I-I could sit down for a bit." Marinette hesitantly sat in the chair across from him and stiff as a board she nervously watched him enjoy his hot chocolate. How does someone look so fresh and gorgeous in the morning? His hair was perfectly placed away from his face. His gorgeous complexion was so relaxed and his skin looked so smooth, any girl would be jealous of it. That jawline was so sharp she sliced her finger by just looking at it. He was such a beautiful human, it left her wondering what could she have possibly done for the universe to bless her. Marinette watched him in awe, propping her arm up and resting her chin on her hand. She was in a daze, hypnotized with his features.

"It's a beautiful morning" Adrien took a deep breath before taking another sip of the rich hot chocolate . This is definitely a good way to start your morning. eating pastries and drinking hot chocolate with a good loving friend. What could be better than this?

"Not as beautiful as you" She sighed and continued to stare, unaware that she had said that allowed. Her comment caught him by surprise that his drink almost went down the wrong tube. He coughed, setting down his drink and tried to gasp in some air. Marinette was unmoved, she still continued to admire him. As soon as he was finally able to breath normally, he chuckled and a light hue of pink appeared across his cheeks.

"Do you like what you see?" He smirked and leaned in. Her eyes widened and she froze, as if she was finally realizing what she had said. Turning completely red she opened her mouth to say something. She stopped. Mouth open as if her words were stuck in her throat. Then the unexpected happened. Marinette giggled. Then she laughed. Her panicked state was no more and she was filled with hard laughter. Adrien was confused, she was looking at him making it clear that she was laughing at him. "What's so funny?" For the first time ever, he felt self conscious.

"I can't..." She was gasping in between laughs.

"What?" Was it his hair? The way he dressed today? Marinette was a designer, maybe she thought his sense of style was odd.

"I can't take you seriously with that chocolate milk mustache" She clenched her stomach, she was laughing harder than ever. Adrien however became really red, but he did like listening to her laugh. "You have to look at yourself" Her laughed started to slow down and she pulled out her phone. "Here take a look" She handed him her pink phone that had the front facing camera on. Holding the phone up, he saw his reflection on the screen. A milky brown chocolate mustache rested on his upper lip. Embarrassed, he decided to make the most of this silly situation.

"I don't know, I don't look half bad. I'm kind of digging this new look" Adrien posed for a selfie and started taking a few pictures with Marinette's phone. Marinette took a sip from her hot chocolate before she noticed that Adrien Agreste was taking selfies with her phone. As much as she wanted to let him take as many selfies for her to drool over later, she couldn't let him take up all her phone space.

"Hey! You can't take pictures with my phone" Marinette reached over the table, attempting to snatch the phone from his hand. His cat reflexes helped him avoid her hand and continue taking pictures.

"You are telling a model that he can't take pictures?" He chuckled, continuing to spam her phone with pictures at different angles. Then he noticed her. Well he noticed her way before this very moment, but he noticed her chocolate milk mustache sitting on her upper lip. He was the one laughing now. Now it was Marinette's turn to become red.

"We have to take a picture together" He laughed. If it were even possible, Marinette was redder than before. Her crush was making his way to scoot closer to her. Her crush was taking a selfie of each other with HER phone. Her crush had his arm around her and his face was only centimeters away. Internally, she was screaming in utter joy. Externally, she smiled awkwardly at the camera while Adrien took several photos. "Ok, you have to send me these, this is going to be my new home screen" He handed her back her phone and sat back down in his original spot. They both wiped away their mustaches, with a few giggles here and there.

"Mari" Sabine stepped outside and made her way to the two teenagers. "Sorry, to bother you on your break but your father and I need a few things from the store, do you mind getting them for us while we manage the bakery?"

"Sure, Maman" Marinette smiled.

"here is the list" Sabine handed her a slip of paper. "Mari, I have another favor to ask you" Sabine talked in a quieter tone. "It's going to be our 20th anniversary in a few weeks. Your father and I are going on a date, and will be gone for a weekend. I want to ask you if you could make me a dress that will wow your father."

"yes! of course!"

"Great! take this, go buy whatever you need" Sabine handed her some cash and quickly made her way back inside.

"Would you like me to accompany you?" Adrien smiled.

"Are you able to?" Marinette gave him a questioning look. He gave her a reassuring nod and the two teenagers left, casually walking to a nearby store.

* * *

At the store they decided to split up and share half the list, assigning each other certain ingredients for their shopping spree go much faster. "I bet I can find my ingredients much faster than you can?" Adrien cooed.

"Is that a challenge?" Marinette cocked a brow.

"If I win, you have to dress up as chat noir for a day" Adrien smirked.

"And if I win I get to give you a makeover" Marinette gave him a mischievous smile.

"Are you saying I'm not good looking?" He frowned.

"oh please! I'd be insane if I said that" She rolled her eyes.

"Oh? and what is that suppose to mean?" He leaned in, he was interested in her answer. She just brushed him off and giggled.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out" She winked and then took off to finish before him. She was at an advantage, Adrien has never been grocery store...much less grocery shopping. He sighed and tried to find his way to his first ingredient. Marinette however, was swiftly making her way through the aisles, occasionally passing the lost model. Within a few minutes in the store, Adrien seemed to already have picked up a few ingredients, but he was far behind her. Looks like she will be giving him a makeover and she couldn't wait. Within a few more minutes she was down to her last two ingredients, and he still had six more to go. Giving him some time before she defeated him at the challenged, she victoriously hummed her way down an aisle, strutting her way to victory.

"Marinette?" An unfamiliar voice pulled her attention to a weary figure standing before her. She was caught off guard and almost jumped at how close this person was. It was a man, and he stood way to close for her comfort. She took a step back and looked up to identify him. His grey eyes met hers. He had an intense gaze as he studied her. His dark hair was messy and his clothing was dark and ragged.

"Jasper?" Marinette questioned, it took her a few seconds to process who it was. She took a step back to feel less invaded and more comfortable, and gave him a hesitant smile. Remembering the warnings that Tikki told her about the man. She was tense, very tense but she tried her hardest not to show it. Jasper flashed her a smile and she became uneasy. That smile did not feel friendly, it felt sickening.

"What a coincidence finding you here" He laughed. His eyes were filled with a fake character and his smile intensified into something so uncomfortable to look at. Marinette gave a slight shiver, she didn't like this situation. "I was just picking up a few groceries, I didn't know you shop here too"

She became more observant of him now. He was holding an empty shopping basket, which was odd, considering that they were already far from the door. An average person should already have picked something up, unless they had only entered the store for one thing...right?

"I was just picking up a few things for my parents" She smiled, still feeling very uncomfortable.

"Ah! your parents are the bakers that own a bakery right?" He questioned. "You are Marinette Dupain-Cheng,"

She didn't remember giving him that information. "How did you know?" She gave him a suspicious look.

"I was just walking by this morning and I saw you working there, what a coincidence! I love that place! It's funny how we keep running into each other. It's like it is our fate or something" He chuckled, but it didn't sound so friendly.

Marinette became extremely uncomfortable now. How could he possibly know that much information from simply seeing her work. It sounded too confident for him to be assuming something like that.

"There you are" Adrien's voice captured their attention. He was entering the aisle from behind her and she was washed with relief. "I found all the ingredients on my list" Adrien slowly made his way to her, clearly unaware of Jasper's presence. "I think I won this round" He smiled at her, but her reaction was nothing that he was expecting. She seemed nervous and uncomfortable, almost as if she was uneasy around him. But she leaned closer too him, searching for a sense of security in his presence. He looked ahead of her and finally noticed that a tall man was standing there. His face held a scowled look and his eyes were piercing through the model with disgust. "Am I interrupting something" Adrien looked at Marinette with concern. There was so much tension in the air.

"No! I just coincidentally ran into Jasper here" Marinette smiled nervously, she tried to hide her discomfort but Adrien saw right through her. "It was nice seeing you Jasper, but I'm afraid we have to start heading home" Marinette tugged Adrien's arm. Adrien shot the man a quick glare, before he was pulled away. The two teens cashed out and exited the store in an awkward silence. Marinette hung her head as they walked.

"Is everything ok?" Adrien leaned over to look at her. Looking up at him, she smiled weakly.

"Everything is ok, I just found it a little odd"

"Was that the same guy as last night?" Adrien was suspicious now. Plagg warned him about the man, and now he can see why. The few minutes he just encountered with him felt off. His scowl almost seemed threatening, and his gaze was full of jealousy. The fact that he looked almost thirty years of age also made Adrien uneasy. What business would he have with a teenage girl he doesn't even know?

"Yeah" She sighed. "the vibe he gave off was a little uncomfortable, I really should have paid more attention to you guys last night"

"Hey, its not your fault" Adrien stopped at his tracks. "He was being a little creepy last night and today but it isn't your fault"

Marinette chuckled softly. "You don't need to reassure me. I'll be ok" She flashed him a smile and he felt relieved. She was finally relaxed and that's all he wanted to see. "Do you mind if we go to the Fabric store? I want to buy some new fabric for my mother's dress"

"Of course!"

The two teens made their way to a nearby shop that had all kinds of different fabrics. From Linens, to satins, to lace and chiffon. Some had patterns of geometry or other shapes, wild or simple designs, and some were just a solid color. There was a variety of hues that consisted from either the playful colors like bold periwinkle pinks to the more relaxed midnight blues. There were so many options, Marinette didn't know where to begin. She was like a kid in a candy shop, running her hands through each piece of fabric, feeling its texture and aweing each and every one of them. Adrien chuckled. He has never seen his classmate this excited before, and he liked it.

"Do you have an idea of the design" Adrien pulled out a roll of yellow satin, feeling it between his fingers.

"I do have a few ideas. I'm just not sure what design would be perfect for a date. I've never really been on a date" Wide eyed Adrien looked at his classmate who was focused on the fabrics in front of her.

"You have never been on a date?!" Adrien was confused. How could such a cute girl never be asked for a night out?. "Why?"

She giggled and looked at him playfully. "Because I've never been asked"

"That's like impossible though, not even the boy you like?"

Marinette blushed and bit her lip nervously. "I-I don't think he has looked at me in that way. Even though I'm right in front of him. He is kind of...dense"

"Wow! what a jerk! How could he have not notice you by now?" Adrien puffed his cheeks and ran his fingers through another piece of fabric, slightly disappointed to hear that Marinette had a crush. Marinette however mentally face palmed. There had to be a flaw in someone so perfect, and of course Adrien was too dense to notice her hints. "Do you want to go on one?" Adrien caught her by surprise.

"Adrien Agreste, are you asking me out on a date?!" She stood there frozen and red. This had to be a dream.

"What? No! I mean Yes! N-No!" Adrien stuttered, realizing what he just asked. He was red now too. Taking a deep breathe before he continue. "I meant if you would to go on a date sometime, with anybody, like experience one?"

"Oh! uh.. I guess" She shrugged, slightly disappointed that it was a false alarm. This was too good to be true. "Enough about my love life, I need to find a good fabric." She quickly changed the subject before she was disappointed any further.

"Y-yeah" Adrien blushed. His mind was now lost at the thought of going out on a date with Marinette. What dress would she wear? How would she style her hair? Where would they go?. He stole a glance at her and turned even more red. What was wrong with him? He loved Ladybug. "What about this fabric? It would look great as an off shoulder cocktail dress" He suggested just to take his mind off silly things.

"Hmmm, I like the idea but I don't think it's my mom's style"

Adrien continued with his suggestions, and Marinette judged. The two teens walked through each aisle, each discussing ideas and fabrics. Eventually they spilt up to cover more ground.

While Marinette was conflicted with either picking an elegant grey fabric or the fancy maroon, she was tapped on the shoulder.

"Mari, you ran off on me so quickly. I'm so lucky I found you" A voice hummed in her ear and she shrieked, that was not Adrien's voice. She wasn't expecting something so invasive in her favorite store. Within seconds Adrien came running down the aisle to see what was wrong.

"Mari?! What's wro-" Adrien stopped dead in his tracks.

Marinette's ladybug instincts quickly kicked in and she jerked her elbow back, coming into contact with someone behind her. The person behind her let out an "oof" and knocked over a few things. Marinette then lifted her leg and swung it behind her, spinning her entire body with it. Her kick missed as the person was already far from her leg's reach. Her stance became defensive and she gave the person a glare. Her eyes met angry grey ones. The person standing before her was none other than Jasper. He clenched his stomach with one hand and held himself onto a stand with his other hand. He gave her and intense glare and she stiffened. Fear came crashing into Marinette and she stood their frozen. What was he doing in here? How did he find her?... Her face went white as if she had seen a ghost, clearly showing that she was panicking internally. She couldn't move, as if a dear caught in the head lights, his stare was so chilling, so cold and so fearsome. She was no longer looking at a friendly mask, she was peeking into it, and all Marinette wanted was to escape it.

Adrien was astonished. Marinette pulled ladybug movements and he never felt so amazed before. But he snapped back into reality as soon as he saw those familiar fearless bluebell eyes suddenly become filled with fear. Her complexion was ghost white. He looked at the man that stood in front of her. It was him again, and at this point, Adrien knew this guy was up to something.

"Mari! What the hell?" Jasper hissed with a venomous breath. Looking around her, fabrics and ribbons were scattered on the floor in front of her. Everyone in the store was now staring, giving her judgmental looks, clearly getting the wrong message on what was going on. Her heart pounded, she didn't know what to do.

"Her name is Marinette!" Adrien stepped in front of her, giving the man a threatening look. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I was buying some fabric, and coincidentally ran into her" Jasper returned an equally threatening gaze to Adrien, but Adrien stood there unmoved.

"I call bull shit" Adrien was angry now. "You clearly did not come here to buy fabric."

"A-Adrien" Marinette tugged at his arm. "Let's just go"

"I'm warning you" Adrien pointed a finger and growled. "stay away from Marinette, or you will wish you had never 'Coincidentally' ran into her again" He gave one last glare before taking Marinette by the hand and leading her out.

* * *

It was a long silent walk back home. Adrien marched his way through the crowds of people holding Marinette's hand. Marinette blushed, and was hesitant to anything. She has never seen Adrien this angry before, but she couldn't have been more lucky in a situation that she had just experience. After a few minutes of walking, Adrien finally slowed down and let go of Marinette's hand. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, he really didn't know why he was beyond pissed. Seeing Marinette in such a state made him so defensive.

"T-thank you" Marinette spoke. He looked at the girl, she looked so vulnerable and guilty. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, you really didn't have to do anything for me"

"No, I'm sorry. I don't mean to scare you, I was just so angry." Adrien took her hand once more and held it between his own. She looked up and blushed. "You don't have to apologize. None of this is your fault. I just didn't want you to get hurt, and seeing you scared like that triggered me."

She nodded and slightly smiled.

"By the way Mari, I didn't know you knew how to fight, that was some awesome defensive moves" Adrien tried lightening the mood.

"Ah! t-that was nothing" Marinette blushed. "reflexes I guess"

"Well remind me to never get you angry" The two teen giggled. "Let's go home. I'm sure Nathalie will be at the bakery to pick me up soon" Adrien sighed and the two continued walking home.

* * *

That night Marinette sat in her desk and drew some potential designs for her mother's dress. Drawing was her escape on the nights she wasn't ladybug, whenever she was overwhelmed with emotions she drew new designs in her journal or patrolled the city as the famous super heroine. This morning was definitely an overwhelming experience. She had an amazing time with Adrien, but Jasper...Jasper terrorized it. Why was he suddenly everywhere she was?

There was a silent knock on her bedroom latch. "Mari, I have something for your" Sabine spoke.

"Come in, Maman" The latch opened and the small woman entered Marinette's room. She held a single rose and an Envelope.

"This was on the front door, it looks like someone has a crush on you" Sabine smiled and set it on her desk.

"What? That's impossible" Marinette picked up the rose and admired it.

"Of course not sweetie. Who wouldn't have a crush on you." Sabine's soothing voice chuckled. "Goodnight sweetie, don't stay up too late." Sabine made her way back downstairs.

"I won't, goodnight Maman" Marinette slumped on her chair and took a deep breath.

"Mari, what's wrong?" Tikki flew out of hiding.

"I don't know Tikki. This is a little unexpected"

"Who do you think it's from" Tikki looked at the envelope. In beautiful cursive letters, it said:

 _To the beautiful Marinette_

"I don't know" Marinette sighed. In reality she was scared to know.

"are you going to open it?"

"Maybe tomorrow" Marinette picked herself up from her chair and made her way to her bed.

"Mari! before you go to sleep. I wanted to talk about Jasper"

"I don't, not right now" She buried her face in a pillow.

"Mari, you really should tell someone"

"Tomorrow Tikki. I don't want to think about it right now"

Tikki sighed, admitting defeat she slumped her shoulders and floated back into her usual hiding spot. She just hoped that this would not escalate into something more threatening.

Boy, was she wrong...

* * *

 **Thank you guys for reading!**

 **Keep those reviews coming and I hoped you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **I also want to give a quick shout out to my dear reviewer juliaslater286, whom suggested a great idea for a future scene. Honestly, I don't know why I didn't think of it before, but I'm definitely going to add it to the story. Anyways, Chat Noir will be making an appearance next chapter!**

 **~Zushi :3**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey Guys!**

 **Chapter 3 is in! SUPER Sorry for the long wait, I recently got super busy in my summer job. I had to take two business trips and unnecessary family drama sparked up. Everything is good now and I'm back to writing the story! This chapter may be a little poorly written because the only time I had to work on it was before I went to bed, so I was tired and rushed through it because I wanted to upload it asap.**

 **Anyways... enjoy the chapter and Chat Noir's appearance!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Miraculous Ladybug.**

* * *

The next morning, Mairnette was helping her parents in the bakery. Adrien seemed to have made time to stop by and ordered breakfast for two again. Sunday morning was very similar to Saturday, just without the uncomfortable adventure. The weekend had seemed to roll by and school was in session once again. Marinette and Adrien seemed to have been spending more time together, laughing along with Alya and Nino. Lunches didn't go a minute without sitting side by side, and Adrien was enjoying his classmates company. He has grown fond of the girl and grew very close to her, he was now constantly catching himself thinking about her and her cute smile. Marinette was definitely enjoying her time with her crush, even if it won her some dirty looks from Chloe and Sabrina. She is growing a massive crush on him, even bigger than before, it was a little overwhelming. At this rate however, she didn't want to ruin the friendship they had. The small details she got to learn about him during the time they spent together made her feel way more closer to him than before. Having her discover more things to adore, more imperfections to love. Well, in her eyes he was perfect, and those flaws were not at all imperfect. That's what had caught Adrien off guard. Everyone has expected him to be perfect but as soon as Marinette found his small details, she had accepted and continued to see him no different than before. What was up with this girl that made him feel so comfortable to be open with her? To be more curious about her?

It was a Wednesday after school and Adrien came over to help Marinette with chemistry homework. Adrien had been going over to Marinette's after school since Monday to help with "homework". In reality, the two teens found themselves getting distracted with each other and found some other activity that friends do. He had grown to love staying over at Marinette's, her parents were always so warm and welcoming. Their house smelled like freshly baked bread and they made sure to always have the cookie jar filled up. It was a warmer place than his big empty mansion. He even preferred staying than returning home. He already felt very comfortable in the Dupain-Cheng's, enough to enter her room and walk over to her chaise and lay back on it, throwing his school back aside. He felt relaxed here, especially on her chaise. Marinette giggled and made her way to her desk.

"It's only been a few days of your visits and you are already comfortable enough to take naps" Marinette sat back on her chair, shooting the blonde a playful smirk. Only a few days ago would she be freaking out that her crush is laying on her chaise, but now she was comfortable enough to give him a hard time.

"Your house actually feels like home" Adrien chuckled. "Mine feels like work"

"Well" Marinette rolled her chair closer to him. "We have to work on chemistry...at home". The cold reality hit him and Adrien pouted, giving her a pleading look.

"Awe, but Mari. We just finished with school." He begged. "My brain hurts, I think we should take a quick relaxing break before we start doing homework"

"You have been saying the exact same thing since Monday. You are not winning this time" Marinette crossed her arms and cocked an eye brow. "We barely have enough time to finish our homework before you have to leave".

"But Mari" His pleading face intensified. He knew she was right though, they arrive with the intention to work on homework, but the long day at school gets them tired and they easily excuse themselves to doing a something more fun for a "break". With the few days they have been spending a lot of time together, Adrien has grown to know that his pouty face was her ultimate weakness, and he loved using it on her. That pouty face was always the reason why they took long breaks. Unfortunately for Marinette, whenever he made that same face, she couldn't help but give in. He was just too...cute.

"Fine" She sighed in defeat. "But only for a few minutes"

"Yes!" Adrien sat up and faced an unamused bluenette, grinning victoriously. He laughed softly as soon as he saw her blush and look away. No matter what face he made, Marinette always found it attractive. "Am I that ugly to look at?" He teased.

"You are anything but ugly" Marinette mumbled, clearly something his ears weren't suppose to pick up, but they did, and he smirked.

"Are you calling me hot?" He continued. Marinette froze and turned completely red. He definitely enjoyed watching her at this state, she was adorable.

"W-w-what are you-" Marinette stuttered. "I-I-I'm not s-s-saying anything."

"Relax Mari" Adrien chuckled. "I'm just messing with you" Marinette was again unamused with him, and shot him a glare. She was still blushing, and he couldn't help but giggle. Within a matter of seconds Adrien's face was met with a pillow. The force of the pillow was strong enough to knock him back and fall off the chaise. He was certainly not expecting such strength on her skinny figure, but he was sure impressed with her speed, accuracy and force. Removing the pillow from his face he looked at Marinette from the floor in a confused gaze, trying to process what had just happened. She smirked and rolled back to her desk in her chair.

"So that's how you want to play?" Adrien spoke under his breath, watching the girl carefully. To Marinette's surprise, a pillow had struck the back of her head. Carefully turning around and finding a smirking Adrien, she shot him a quick playful grin. With swift movements Marinette stood up while lifting up the pillow and struck back, but thanks to Chat Noir's reflexes, Adrien was quick enough to barely dodge her attack. She threw the pillow with such precision, it spooked him.

"Trying to saw my head off with a pillow?" Adrien cocked a brow at her, staring with a bit of a terrified look.

"Hey someone pushed it" She shrugged with a guilty gaze.

"I'm also going to end it!" Adrien grabbed the pillow and threw it at her. Marinette easily dodged his attack and smirked victoriously, but her victory only lasted a few seconds. The pillow was only a diversion, and Adrien got her good. Without being able to fully process what was going on, Adrien had lunged forward and knocked Marinette over. He was now on top of her with a mischievous smile slapped across his face. Marinette was frozen, not only was her crush pinning her down, but that grin was so familiar. Adrien's hands began tickling her stomach and she bursted into laughter. Her hands tried pushing away his and her body wiggled underneath him, but it was no use. She was weak in laughter and Adrien couldn't help but laugh himself.

"Ok!-Ok!.." Marinette laughed. "You win!" Adrien removed his hands from her stomach and allowed her too breath. She laid underneath him still, gasping for air before she looked up at the blonde with a blushing face. He was still above her, trying to catch his breath himself from laughing. The pillow seemed to have messed up his hair a little bit, a new look for the model and she loved it. She blushed at the sight of him and the fact that he was still on top of her. Internally, she was screaming and confidently telling him to not move, to just kiss her. Externally, with a little disappointment and awkwardness, "Y-you can get off now".

"S-sorry" He blushed and frantically removed himself from her and helped her up.

"Well I think that was a long enough break" Marinette brushed herself off, trying to avoid awkward eye contact with the blonde and hiding her blushing face.

"Right" Adrien cleared his throat and looked for his school bag.

The two teens eventually settled in and worked on their homework for several hours, boring hours that they both wished they spent doing something else. Every now and then they would steal a glance or two at each other. Sometimes catching each other's gaze and then frantically moving their eyes away with a blush painted on their cheeks. Whenever Adrien caught a glance of Marinette, he noticed her focused face, and her serious face that was adorable. She would nibble on her pencil whenever she was deep in thought, tilt her head like a puppy when she was confused, and make a little pout whenever she answered wrong. Adrien couldn't understand who wouldn't find her adorable, because she was. Marinette eventually sighed, planting her face into her text book.

"Tired?" He chuckled softly.

"That, and I don't get this problem" Marinette groaned in frustration, looking up at the boy.

"Maybe this calls for break number 2?" Adrien suggested with a dorky smile. With a small chuckled she stood up and stretched her arms.

"I could go for another break" Marinette smiled softly as she made her way to her chaise and laid on it. "I could also use a nap"

"Me too" Adrien yawned, still sitting at her desk. "By the way Mari, are you still interested in going on the trip this weekend?"

"Yeah, but I'm not sure if I can go" She sighed once more and looked at her crush. She wanted to go, spend more time with Adrien. Get to know him and maybe get even closer than they are now. But she worried that her parents needed her home and help with the bakery. Not only her parents, but all of Paris would need her if there were another Akuma. She didn't know if she could take that risk, even for Adrien.

"Well, Nathalie already talked to your parents and arranged plans with them, she said that they are willing to let you go"

"They are?" Marinette now sat up with excitement. She definitely wasn't expecting this.

"Yeah, you want to go?" Adrien giggled. Marinette tried so hard to hold in her squeals, but she couldn't help it. She squeaked, something Adrien wasn't expecting. "I'm assuming that's a yes" He smiled at the girl who looked like she was going to explode with happiness. She stiffly nodded with a goofy smile and a red face. Adrien chuckled and sat back on his chair sitting at Marinette's desk. He gave out a small sigh of relief, and feeling relaxed. He was more than ready for the weekend to come and spend sometime with his friends, especially Marinette. She has somehow been stuck in his mind since their night out roller skating and he has no clue how a few hours with his classmate could get him hooked with wanting to spend more time with her. He didn't mind though, because he enjoyed her company. She made him feel relaxed and allowed him to be himself a bit, nobody besides Nino has that power on him. Maybe that's why he enjoys spending time with her?

Adrien drifted his eyes away from his classmate and around her small room. Observing closely at every detail. He has been here before, but he never really took the time to notice the small details that somehow gave away who Marinette is as a person. Aside from the tremendous amounts of pink, it very much suited Marinette. She had a few posters of Jagged stone, some of Ladybug and Chat Noir, and other cut outs of fashion magazines and their different designs. There was a little corner for her designs, and another work space for her computer on her desk.

Then he noticed something tucked away and behind her computer screen. A beautiful red Rose that was slowly dying and an unopened envelope with well written letters.

"What's this?" Adrien reached for the envelope. "To the beautiful Marinette." He observed it even further, before looking up at his classmate. Something about this envelope made him a little upset.

"Ah, that..." Marinette nervously rubbed the back of her neck. She was too nervous to read it, because she was hoping it was from Adrien but she was scared to find that it might not be from him. "Someone left that in the bakery door over the weekend, I'm not sure who it's from"

"Does our little Marinette have a secret admirer?" Adrien teased, but those words left a bitter taste in his mouth. He disliked saying it for some odd reason, but he didn't want Marinette to see it.

"I-I guess" Marinette shrugged. She was hoping for a different reaction from him. A sign to show her that the letter was from him, but she received the opposite. That envelope was NOT from Adrien and instead from someone else. She was a little upset now, but scared.

"Maybe from the boy you like?" He continued.

"No, not from him. He just told me it wasn't from him" Marinette looked away now, she didn't want to continue this conversation. "Let's finish up our homework."

Adrien nodded in agreement and the continued their work.

* * *

Later that night Marinette sat at her desk developing new designs for her mother's dress. Adrien had already gone home after Nathalie called him and scolded him for staying over to long. They actually managed to finish their homework on time and they even had some time to play some video games. But now she sat at her desk, drawing and thinking about the blonde. Trying to forget about the mysterious envelope that was not from Adrien. She was very curious to know what the letter says now, and it wouldn't leave her mind. She groaned and dropped her head on her journal.

"Is everything ok, Mari?" Tikki flew out of her usual hiding spot.

"I have to know what the letter says now, who it's from" Marinette looked at her little Kwami and sighed. "I'm just scared to find out who it's from."

"Why?" Tikki giggled.

"If it's not from Adrien, than it might be a boy from class, and then I would have to gently turn him down. I'm going to feel so bad" Marinette once again dropped her head in defeat. "But I have to read it"

She finally reached for the enveloped and opened it. Marinette then pulled out the small piece of paper hesitantly and opened it up...

 _Marinette._

 _What a beautiful name._

 _For such a cute face._

 _For such beautiful eyes._

 _For such kissable lips, and touchable figure._

 _For such a kind heart._

 _You cared, you were kind, and sweet._

 _Qualities you never see in people today._

 _It first started when I heard that beautiful voice of yours._

 _Then I saw those sparkling blue eyes, and I felt something_

 _Something I have never felt before._

 _I met you, for the first time and I fell hard._

 _I hope one day you will notice me._

 _I hope one day we become something._

 _Because every day since we met..._

 _I have the desire to touch you._

 _The desire to have you._

 _I wish you to be mine._

 _I wish to kiss you._

 _I wish to hold you._

 _I wish to love you._

 _-Your future love._

Chills ran down Marinette's spine as her entire body froze. It was a love letter from someone anonymous, someone who _'desired to touch her and wished to love her'._ This made her uneasy, everything about this letter was a little alarming and on top of that, it was not from Adrien. Some phrases were a little uncomfortable, in fact the whole letter itself was uncomfortable. Marinette shivered, this clearly wasn't something that she was expecting, and this letter made her feel a little invaded. Her head raced with faces of people it could be. Boys from her school that may have come across as interested, but nobody seemed to have fit.

"This..." Tikki floated behind her. Her voice was a little timid as she spoke. She has clearly read the letter and gained the same feeling as Marinette. "I don't like this..." She finally added. Marinette dropped the letter on her desk and looked at Tikki with a hesitant gaze.

"I don't know who it's from" Marinette shrugged. "It could be from anyone"

"Well maybe it is one of your classmates" Tikki tried to relax her holder as well as herself. "Teenage boys don't know how to properly approach a girl."

"I-I guess you are right Tikki" Marinette let herself relax a little bit, trying to ease her mind. "I'm going to step outside for a bit". With that, Marinette climbed out onto her balcony for some fresh air. Maybe it was a mistake reading the letter, she should have torn it up and thrown it away, but it would have made her feel really bad. It would make her feel as if she took someone's heart and tore it to pieces, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. To hurt someone unintentionally. The letter felt so invasive and uncomfortable, that she didn't know what to do at this point.

Marinette leaned on the railing and sighed. The view of Paris from her balcony was definitely a beautiful sight. The glimmering lights and the nightly sounds of her city slowly eased her mind. But she was still a little terrified. It wasn't long until a loud thud came from behind her and instantly made her jump. Marinette's relaxed state was no more and she went into panic mode, turning completely white. She turned around with a terrified gaze only to find a pair of familiar playful green eyes.

"Hello Pur-incess" A voiced purred in the dark and the tall, lean figure standing before her bowed.

"C-Chat Noir" Marinette relaxed now, sighing with a bit of relief. "What brings you here?"

"Well, long time no see Pur-incess." He stood tall now, showing his all too familiar smirk that was actually really hot. "I was thinking about you and realized you have been lacking some vitamin _ME-ow_. So here I am to _Chat_ and catch up."

"How thoughtful" Marinette rolled her eyes at his pun. "But I was doing just fine without you"

" _Meowch_!" Chat placed his hand on his heart. "You wound me with your words Pur-incess." Marinette giggled and flicked his bell. She made her way back inside her room and Chat followed.

"I think you were the one missing me"

"Maybe I was, I haven't seen my pur-incess in a while". It was true. Chat occasionally visited Marinette only to check up on her and left within a few minutes. It never really led to him actually staying and having a nice long Chat. (pun not intended) So his visit tonight was a little odd to her, especially since he was here to talk. It has been long since they have seen each other last, even as Lady Bug has she yet to see her dear partner. In reality, Adrien didn't want to leave the Dupain-Cheng's. He sat impatiently in his bedroom wishing that he was enjoying some pastries with his classmate. She has somehow got him addicted to her company and he wanted to spend as much time as possible with her. Being dragged back home so he could sit around in his empty room bored him. Bribing his small cheese loving Kwami, Adrien was able to convince Plagg to transform him. So he could spend more time with her as Chat Noir.

"Ok Kitty" Marinette giggled as she made her way to her desk. Chat entered her room, observing it as if he has never been there before. It hasn't changed since the few hours he left and he immediately felt at home. He made his way to her pink Chaise and laid down, just the way he did as Adrien.

"How have you been Pur-incess?"

"I'm alright" She smiled. "It seems as if you already made yourself comfortable."

"Your home feels like a home" He hummed comfortably.

"Funny. A friend said something similar earlier today" She chuckled lightly. Chat knew very well who she was talking about and he smirked.

"Who is this Friend?" He questioned with a big smirk.

"Ah, just someone dear to me. I have been lucky enough to become closer to this friend over the last couple days." She hummed as she busied herself with cleaning her desk and taking out her sketch book.

"Someone dear to you?" He tilted his head in question. Knowing that he was someone special to Marinette made him a little happy. He wanted to hear more.

"Yeah" She sighed thinking about the blonde. "Very dear to me."

"Why is that?" He wanted to hear her talk about him. He wanted to hear her say how much she enjoyed being with his civilian self.

"He is just sweet, and caring. He is a really good, loyal and a reliable friend. He is just so fun to be around him, I-" She stopped and blushed. "I-..."

"You?" Chat was now confused. He wanted her to continue, he couldn't understand what the hold up was.

"I-uhm. I a-admire him v-very m-much" She stuttered with a bright red blush. This however, made Chat very happy. She was a true friend, with true genuine intentions to be Adrien's friend. He couldn't appreciate it anymore. She was someone that saw him, past the whole fame and money thing, she really did enjoy Adrien as himself. He was excited now. He wanted to get closer to her even more, and she just had him hooked with her cute personality.

"How sweet" He purred as he slowly made his way to her. "But pur-incess, am I not someone you admire too?". He placed a hand on her open sketch book and inched his faced closer too hers. She turned to meet his eyes and she found herself way to close to Chat Noir's face. He looked at her playfully with a smirk, and she blushed a deep red.

"k-kitty, w-what are you-" She choked and her words were caught in her throat.

"After all, I am your only Kitty who protects you." He continued to tease. He couldn't help it, he enjoyed seeing her so vulnerable and flushed.

"Chat!" Marinette somehow built the strength to place a finger on his nose and push him away. "Stop saying such nonsense. Of course I admire you, you are my favorite hero after all". She crossed her arms and avoided eye contact, trying to seem unaffected by his teases, but that bright red blush was not helping.

"Favorite?" It was Chat's turn to blush. He wasn't expecting to be anybody's favorite, because his Lady definitely outshined him. However, her sudden confession thrilled him and he was filled with energy within seconds.

"Yes you stupid Kitty" Marinette sat there unmoved and avoided his eyes.

"I'm someone's favorite!" He cheered as he spun around in her room and fell onto her chaise. He let out a sigh of relief and smiled at the ceiling. "You make me very happy Pur-incess". He spoke without notice and Marinette turned even redder than before, if it were even possible.

"You-" Marinette couldn't find the words to scold him anymore. She was so flushed and her heart pounded a million times per second. She puffed her cheeks and tried to calm down with deep breathes. "Y-you actually came at a good time Kitty" She tried changing the subject.

"Why is that?" Chat sat himself back up and looked at the girl with a questioning look.

"I lost a competition and now I have to d-dress u-u-up like...y-you". She said hesitantly. "C-can I look at your costume for Ideas?"

"Wow! I didn't know you were my number one fan, I am honored" He stood up and bowed before making his way back to her, this time keeping his distance. Marinette shyly made his way to him now. She reached out a hand but stopped dead in her tracks.

"M-may I?" She looked at him, and he nodded giving her the okay. Marinette placed a hand on his chest and her sudden touch made him tense up. Then she placed two hands. Her touch was so gentle, yet for some reason he was a little nervous. She moved her hands every which way, getting a feel of the material and it's texture. Looking at every detail. She moved down to his tail and ran her fingers through the long material. If only she was aware that he could feel her touch even from his tail, it's as if it's another limb. She reached up once more and felt his cat ears, gently moving her fingers through them. He could help it, her fingers massaging his ears made him purred. Marinette was caught off guard and removed her hands from him.

"I'm sorry I can't help it" Chat Noir nervously smiled. She giggled and scratched the back of his ear before making her way back to her desk.

"It's ok Kitty" She hummed. "I think it's cute"

"Cute?" Chat Noir slightly blushed. "Is that the only thing you think is cute?" He teased as he moved closer to her.

"Stop saying such nonsense" Chat Noir chuckled as he looked over her shoulder and noticed an open piece of paper and an envelope on her desk. It was obviously the untouched envelope he notice earlier, but now It was on her desk...opened.

"What's this? Is our Pur-incess writing me a love letter?" Chat Noir inched closer to get a better look at the letter. He was able to read a few lines before Marinette snatched the paper from his view and crumpled it up. Frowning, he looked at the girl with a questioning look. She had a little bit of a panicked sparkle in her eye as she looked back nervously.

"N-no!" She blushed. "It was a love letter to me"

"Ah! How lovely" Chat Noir smiled, trying to hide his slight disappointment. Those few lines he read from the letter made him feel a bit, uncomfortable. But then again maybe there was more to those few phrases, 'for such kissable lips, for such touchable figure...I have the desire to touch you, the desire to have you...', that hopefully didn't make it sound so...unsettling.

"yeah, I-I guess" Marinette looked away now, trying to hide her fear.

"Well, Pur-incess. It's getting rather late, I shall let you get your beauty sleep" He bowed. "May I Paw-ssibly see you again?"

"Sure kitty" She smiled.

"Goodnight Pur-incess" He smiled before he opened her window and leaped out.

"Goodnight kitty" Marinette whispered.

* * *

Adrien laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking about Marinette's comment. He was someone's favorite and nothing made him more happy. The fact that he had a fan as Chat Noir, the fact that someone actually like this other persona. He blushed and rolled to his side. She just made him really happy.

"What is with that stupid face?" Plagg hovered over to him.

"I'm her favorite" Adrien happily squealed.

"Kid, you are a special one" Plagg rolled his eyes. "You are seriously thinking about that than that weird letter she didn't want you to read? Seems like someone is trying to steak your girlfriend"

"Plagg!" Adrien sat up, blushing even harder. "M-Ma-Marinette isn't my g-g-girl...f-friend" He stuttered, blushing even more at the word 'girlfriend'. "S-she is a very dear friend of mine who happens to have a crush, and maybe that letter was from him"

"You have got to be kidding me" Plagg face palmed and sighed deeply. "You are too dense for your own good." He shook his head at his holder who looked at him with a confused gaze. "Did that letter not see fishy too you?"

"Well, yeah I guess." Adrien shrugged. "the things it said were a little unsettling, and she didn't seem all that happy. Plus she seemed a little reserved about it"

"Ok, Sherlock. Seems like you are using your head for once. Great timing too" Plagg sarcastically spoke. But he didn't receive a response like he was expecting. Instead his holder was lost in thought. Adrien was curious about the letter, now that he sees that there is something more too it. But little did he know that curiosity almost killed the chat...or more like the bug.

* * *

 **Fun Fact about the Author:**

 **I have a black kitty, beautiful green eyes and a ball of energy. I raised him since he was a kitty. His mother left him under the house where she gave birth. His cries could be heard through the vents of the house. Poor thing almost died, he barely opened his eyes and was smaller than my hand when we found him. He is a happy and healthy kitty now, and can you guess his name? Well, if you guessed that he is named after Chat Noir then you're right. I named him Noir. He used to wake me up by suckling on my chin. (Don't worry, I got him to stop that habit). We eventually found his brothers and sister underneath the house after the mom abandoned them too when they were a little older, poor things almost starved to death, they were still too young to venture out on their own. Luna, Felix, and Tigger. They all have good homes and are perfectly healthy now. Noir is happy at home, sometimes annoying the dog but they get along well.**

 **Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter, the next one is definitely going to be an interesting one.**

 **Thank you guys again for all your reviews! I love reading them, they make my day. So keep them coming :)**

 **~Zushi**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Chapter 4 is finally in! I made this one a little longer for you guys because I love reading your reviews and your support. Can't say this enough but thank you all!**

 **Before we get into it, there is something a little special about this chapter in a creepy way. I will explain at the end of the chapter, so for now enjoy!**

 **Also quick warning! There will be some profanity on this chapter, so I'm sorry if it makes you a little uncomfortable.**

* * *

Thursday morning and Marinette was late to class again. She came up with a totally bizarre excuse as to why she stumbled into class late, and took the all to familiar walk of shame to her desk. As her classes dragged on, she was focused on everything but what the teacher was saying. Thinking about the letter, Chat Noir, Adrien and her designs. Occasionally, she would stare at the blonde in front of her, wishing she could run her hand through his locks, breathe in his cologne and snuggle up next to him while he embraced her. But her wishes remained just wishes and she sighed. Alya would snap her focus back on the lesson from time to time but she couldn't help it. Adrien was too distracting and the letter she received was too disturbing for Marinette to focus in class. She was just lucky the teacher didn't call on her to answer a question about the lesson, she would embarrass herself even more than this morning.

Lunch soon rolled in and Marinette sat on the usual bench she and Adrien have been using, waiting on the model. The chilling letter has been on her mind all day, and lunchtime was the time she truly wanted to think about it. Frantically looking around the courtyard for anybody, any sign that someone could give to prove they were the sender. But it seemed that everyone she looked at paid no mind to the bluenette sitting in the bench, nobody looked like they sent the letter. Every boy she looked at, whether she knew them or not seemed to be enjoying their lunch with their friends, it felt like a normal day, nothing unusual. This really bugged her, everything about the letter disturbed her. It was possible that someone sent it as a sick joke, and she wanted to know who. Who thought it was funny to write her something so invasive and perverted?

"Are you looking for someone?" Adrien's sudden voice spooked her. Jumping from her seat she looked at him. He stood there, holding his lunch and softly chuckling at her reaction.

"A-Adrien!" Marinette squeaked. "I didn't hear you coming"

"Sorry" He shrugged and sat down on the bench next to her.

"W-what took you so long?" She asked as she opened her lunch.

"I am a little late because my cat ate my shoe and I was having a hard time finding another pair to wear" Adrien smirked to himself. He didn't have to look at the bluenette to confirm that she turned bright red.

"Was it that bad?" She hid her face in her hands, clearly embarrassed.

"I don't know how you come up with these bizarre excuses Mari" Adrien laughed. "Sounds like your cat has quiet the appetite to be making you late to school every single day. I didn't even know you had a cat"

Marinette just groaned, trying to get over the embarrassment. He enjoyed teasing her, her reaction to everything he threw at her was always cute.

"Mari!" Both teen's attention shot up to the person who was calling her. It was Alya and she was making her way to them while dragging Nino with her.

"Hey Alya" Marinette smiled at her best friend, still blushing a bright red.

"Adrien tells me that you are coming this weekend, is that true?" Alya questioned

"Yeah" Marinette nodded.

"Girl! Let's go swimsuit shopping tonight! Adrien said there is a river nearby his father's cabin where we can go swim at" Her best friend looked excited. It has been sometime since the two have spent quality time together. Marinette needed it more than ever at this point. Spend some time with her friend, relax her mind from the weird letter and talk about how perfect Adrien is. Shopping with her best friend is something every girl needs to do every once in a while. However, swimsuit shopping was totally something different than what Marinette was used to. The only swimsuit she owned was a plain black one piece, it was modest, nothing too revealing and something that she was comfortable in. Although, she had to admit that it is rather ugly.

"But-" Marinette was hesitant to protest but she was soon interrupted from getting yanked away from the boys by her best friend. She was dragged a few feat away from the bench she was sitting at, far enough for the boys not to hear them.

"Girl, You are not saying no to me. I'm going swimsuit shopping with you and that's final" Alya warned her.

"But why?" Marinette questioned.

"What do you mean why?. Are you trying to get Adrien's attention with that boring old one piece you have at home?" Alya cocked a brow at her, as if she just read Marinette's mind. Alya knew her too well sometimes, it was hard to get around her. But where would Marinette be if it weren't for her best friend's feisty and bold personality? She was definitely Marinette's other half.

"Uhm...Kinda?" Marinette shrugged and gave her a guilty smile.

"All you will be getting is a yawn and you will burn his poor little eyes with that hideous thing on." Yup. She was bold alright, and wasn't afraid to tell her things right to her face.

"Hey!...It's not that...bad" Marinette nervously spoke, but she knew that Alya was right and there was no way out of this.

"Oh girl, yes it is, and that's why you we are going shopping after school, deal?"

"Ok, fine" She dropped her shoulders in defeat, but gave her best friend a soft smile in agreement.

"Plus I need to have some girl time with you. I have to tell you what Nino did a couple days ago" Alya rolled her eyes and shook her head in disapproval. The two soon started to giggled to themselves and made their way back to the boys.

* * *

School finally ended, and it was time to go shopping. Alya dragged along Nino, something about him needing something decent to wear for an upcoming wedding. Nino ended up begging Adrien to come with, so now it was the four teenagers walking through a popular shopping center. Stores surrounding them, each one with a different style, different options, and different price tags.

Marinette can't lie, she enjoys shopping as much as she loves making her own clothing. It's just another way for her to get ideas and be creative. But when she is with Alya, it makes twice as fun. Alya has a pretty good fashion taste herself, and she loves using Marinette as her model. Sometimes the two would dress each other up, varying from funny horrendous outfits, to some outfits that absolutely slay. Either way the two always have fun, and it's a win-win for Marinette. She gets some quality time with her best friend and explore new styles.

Shopping with the boys however, was different. An average boy usually waits for a girl to finish her shopping, usually resulting to her feeling rushed and unable to fully look at all her options. Nino was worse than the average boy. From what Marinette has heard from Alya, he is quite the complainer. Yet she brought him along for his outfit for a wedding they were going to attend. Maybe it was just a plan of Alya's so Adrien can come along but either way this shopping trip was going to be different than a usual girls outing. Marinette didn't think Adrien actually needed to go shopping since everything is given to him, especially his clothes. But he agreed to come and Marinette was sure not complaining. He was a boy that was above average. Not only was he extremely good looking but he was surprisingly interested in the clothing they saw in the windows, sometimes criticized some styles or other times aweing at an outfit. Adrien was a boy that appreciated fashion and that sure made Marinette fall even harder.

While walking with the group there was an unsettling feeling. A feeling of being watched. Marinette could feel someone's eyes on her, but through the crowd of people she couldn't pinpoint who. She figured since they were in a public place, it was probably harmless.

"Let's go into that store, they might have some good clothes for you" Alya pointed out a very modern looking store, also a pricey looking one.

"B-but, aren't you going shopping with Mari first?" Nino frowned.

"Yes, I am going shopping with Mari, but I don't need your ass complaining 24/7. So we are doing you first" Alya sassed at her unhappy boyfriend.

"I wouldn't be complaining if you girls didn't take so long. Besides we could have done this another time" Nino rolled his eyes.

"Excuse me" Alya cocked a brow at her boyfriend and gave him a sassy glare. Nino pushed a button. "First of all, I like to look cute. In order to look cute you got to look at all your options and explore. With that takes times, and my time is cut short by your complaining ass. Second, this was the only opportunity to go shopping since it's so hard to get your ass into a clothing store."

"Well mayb-"

"Oh no, shut you smart mouth. We are going into that store and trying on some clothes whether you like it or not!" Alya quickly interrupted her boyfriend and grabbed him by the ear, fiercely dragging him into the store. Marinette and Adrien followed, giggling to themselves at the couple.

"Remind me not to get Alya mad" Adrien whispered to Marinette. She giggled once more at his comment.

Inside the store, Alya and Nino entered the men's section looking at each piece suited for a wedding, choosing different outfits for him to try on. While she waited, Marinette walked into the women's section to look at a few pieces herself, gathering ideas for new designs. Completely forgetting about Adrien and where he has gone.

While looking at tops, feeling their fabrics and examining their stitching, Marinette couldn't help but feel an unsettling feeling of being watched again. She felt someone's eyes on her once more, but every time she looked up and observed the store she didn't see anyone. Again, she figured it was probably someone in the store, they were in a public place after all.

"Find anything interesting?" Adrien's harmonious voice filled her ears and Marinette turned to look at the boy standing next to her. He was looking at the women's clothing in front of him. Yeah, he was definitely above average.

"What are you doing in the girl's section?" She giggled.

"Well, looking at the men's sections seems a little useless since I don't need to shop for my own clothes" He smiled. "Plus, being around the couple while Alya is spitting fire is a little scary"

"True" Marinette laughed.

"Since you design, do you buy your clothing or do you make your own?" Adrien stopped and looked at her. Marinette wasn't expecting a question, but within a few seconds of processing it, she laughed.

"I guess a little bit of both. I like to get ideas when shopping, sometimes even add my own touch when I buy clothing" Marinette moved along to the next section of clothing and Adrien followed.

"Of course" He chuckled.

"Well, Mr. Agreste. Since we are asking such questions, do you have a good sense of fashion since you are a model? or do you have people pick for you?"

"Do you doubt my tastes, Ms. Dupain-Cheng?" Adrien cocked an eyebrow.

"Certainly not Mr. Agreste, I ask out of simple curiosity" She smirked.

"Well, I'll have you know that I do have quite the taste." He stood prideful, smiling at the girl who continued to smirk.

"Prove it" She smirked.

"Is that a challenge?"

"I bet I can assemble a better outfit than you" Marinette teasingly tapped her finger on his nose and then continued to look through the clothes.

"You are going to lose" He smiled, confident with himself.

"Except" That one word was all it took for him to feel a little more intimidated. "You have to assemble an outfit for me and vise versa"

"Deal!" Adrien accepted without hesitation to avoid any signs that was less confident than before. "What's the theme?"

"Hmmmm, how about 'A date in Paris during the fall'. We have 5 minutes"

"Deal!" Adrien nodded and quickly got to work. Marinette fled to the men's section to choose her selected outfit. There were definitely more clothing options for girls than boys, and it made him a little envious. Adrien pulled out pieces for their racks, matching each piece with another one and imagining Marinette wearing his selected few. Some pieces were too bold for her, some were too "grown-up" looking, others were too lazy, and some were way to scandalous and sexy. Those where the pieces that made him blush as he thought about the bluenette flaunting this type of clothing. He quickly shook away his dirty thoughts, reminded himself that she was a good friend and then scolded himself for thinking such things about his friend. He was a man of respect and he very much respected Marinette.

Within the small amount of time he had, he was finally able to assemble an outfit that spoke Marinette, and he couldn't be more proud. Marinette walked over holding a few pieces and smiling confidently.

"Ready?" She asked.

"Ready" He nodded. The two teenagers entered the fitting rooms and traded their clothing. Within minutes, Marinette stepped out, impressed with what Adrien has selected for her. She wore a buttoned up blouse with an accented loose black bow at the collar. Her blouse was tucked under some nice black jeans which were also tucked in some brown boots that rose a little higher than the ankle. The boots were accented with cream colored socks with white lace around the rims. A creamed colored trench coat with black buttons fell just above her knees. Her outfit was then all accessorize with a dash of color in simple dark burgundy beret. Marionette braided her hair to the side to finish the look. She was astonished with what the model has chosen and it slightly made him more attractive.

Adrien soon stepped out of his small room. His outfit was a little more classy as he flaunted a white button up shirt and black suit vest, accessorized with a dark burgundy tie. A touch of casual with some nice dark blue jeans. Black shoes, and a cream colored trench coat. It was simple but a casual-classy style, perfect for a date. Adrien was also left impressed with Marinette's selection, she knew how to work two different styles in one.

"It seems like we have accidentally matched" Marinette giggled. The two teenagers were wearing different styles but with a very similar color palette. They almost looked like a twinning couple. A blush formed in both their cheeks as the stared at each other in their selected outfits.

"I guess this means a tie?" Adrien shyly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well. I'm very impressed, Mr. Agreste. I would actually consider buying this if I had the money." Marinette twirled in front of the mirror. Looking at herself in every angle. Taking a longer look at the girl Adrien blushed. The outfit he chose suited her very well, and she looked adorable. He imagined it, taking her out to see Paris in that outfit. Seeing the Louvre, then venturing towards Notre Dame and the Eiffel tower. He would make sure she had a good time, keep that cute smile alive. He blushed at the thought of taking her out on a real date. She would look at him with those bluebell eyes and laugh at his corny jokes... "Adrien?"

Her voice pulled him back to reality. She looked at him with a confused gaze and a nervous smile, not what he had imagined but he still found it cute. Marinette slightly blushed, his eyes were on her for a good amount of time. It made her nervous and she looked away. Adrien then realized he was staring, he cleared his throat and readjusted his tie to break the awkward silence. "S-sorry, I was thinking about something"

It suddenly got really warm, he felt his cheeks heat up and a few small droplets of sweat form. Adrien couldn't tell if it was the dressing room or if it was just him. Marinette looked at him shyly, and then softly giggled as soon as she glanced up at him. The room seemed to get hotter by the second and he felt himself get a little nervous at her gaze. Her eyes were on him, making her way slowly towards him and she reach up for his tie.

"Let me fix your tie" She smiled, holding the fabric that clung on his neck. It felt like it was slowly tightening around his neck the closer she got. He nodded softly, watching her inch closer to focus on the tie. She stood close now, he could even smell her shampoo. A sweet scent of strawberries and flowers filled his nose and he was very pleased. He looked at her, studying her features up close as she focused on fixing his tie. Her skin looked soft and smooth enough to caress. Her long lashes accented her familiar gorgeous blue eyes, he could stare at them for hours. Just like how he could stare at Ladybug's blue belle eyes. It's as if he had discovered just how pretty Marinette really was and he turned redder than before. He had a tiny urge to just wrap his arms around her small waist and hold her, embrace her and smell her lovely shampoo. He was slightly hoping and imagining her just pulling on his tie, bring him down and just-...Woah! Adrien Agreste, what are you thinking?

He shook off his thoughts, mentally scolding himself for thinking such wild thoughts. Marinette was his friend, and he loved Ladybug.

"There" Marinette stepped away and smiled. Wow, she had a pretty smile.

"Oh. My. Gosh! I have to get a picture of you two!" Alya pulled both their attention. She pulled out her phone to take a couple pictures. Marinette and Adrien stood awkwardly and a little shy for the picture, but they smiled anyways with some pink on their cheeks. "You guys are matching! This is so cute!"

"Uhm, Alya" Adrien nervously smiled. "Could you maybe not post this on your blog? My dad would kill me If he saw me wearing clothing from a different designer"

"Don't worry, this isn't for my blog" Alya smirked, taking shots of the two teens in different angles. They were having a mini photoshoot, one where Adrien didn't mind modeling for. "Oh my gosh! I can't take it, you two are sooo cute!"

It wasn't long until Nino stepped out of a dressing room, wearing some nice grey slacks, a faint blue buttoned up dress shirt and grey vest. He was readjusting an orange bow tie and took off his usual snap back hat, revealing his short brown hair.

"Dude, this is so uncomfortable" He added, clearly frustrated with how the bow hugged his neck.

"But you're looking pretty sharp" Adrien chuckled. Alya turned to her boyfriend and smiled widely.

"Yes! This is perfect" Alya walked over to Nino, looking at him from head to toe and absorbing this new look on him. "You have to get this for my cousin's wedding, You will match my dress!"

Nino looked at himself in front of the mirror. He stood there for a few minutes staring at his reflection, then eventually striking a pose. "I'm actually kinda diggin it"

"Please...leave the modeling to Adrien" Alya rolled her eyes and pushed him back into his dressing room. "Now hurry and change back so me and Mari can go shopping."

Within a few minutes, everyone exited the dressing rooms and left the store with a nice new outfit for Nino. The boys decided to split up from the girls and check out the new video game shop while the girls had their much needed shopping time together. So there they were, Alya and Marinette walking through the shops and deciding which one to go into first. Marinette couldn't help but feel watched again, those mysterious pairs of eyes watching her every move hiding within the crowd. Again, she couldn't locate who's pairs of eyes that made her feel so uncomfortable. She could possibly be imagining things...

"Let's go in that store, they have really cute swimsuits!" Alya pointed out a store, and the two girls made their way to it. Inside was like any other popular clothing store. The latest pop song played loudly through the speakers, latest fashion trends that teenagers wear today. Whether it was something way too revealing, or outfits that just didn't make any sense. However, Alya was right. The store did have a cute selection of swimsuits. It wasn't long until Alya pulled out various swimsuits for Marinette to try. Swimsuits that she thought she would never wear, but Alya has led her into the dressing room with a large number of bikinis to try on. The first couple were too sexy, others had too many strings, and others were too plain. Many Alya disapproved and others Marinette disapproved. But they finally agreed on one. A soft pink two piece with a plundering neckline and thick straps that detach from the bottom of the top piece, almost forming an 'X'. The bottom piece has thick straps detach from the upper part to carry the design of the swimsuit. It was sexy for Alya's liking and a unique design that Marinette actually liked.

Alya softly shrieked with excitement. "Girl, you have to get this one. Adrien is going to drool!"

"Alya!" Marinette blushed as she looked at her lean figure in the mirror.

"Ok, before you change, I found these super cute Chat Noir and Ladybug swimsuits that we have to try on for my ladyblog" Alya pulled out two more swimsuits, she handed Marinette the black and green set. "You are going to be Chat Noir"

"But-" Marinette couldn't protest as she was already being pushed back into her dressing room to try on the new swim suit. She sighed and hoped that Chat Noir doesn't find the picture. A few seconds later Marinette slid into the two piece Chat Noir inspired swimsuit. It was a simple black halter neck swimsuit with a neon green outlining. A small bell hung at the top of the neck with a neon green bow. The bottoms of the swim suit were black with neon green straps tied into two bows at her hips. Marinette stepped outside her dressing room and found Alya standing in front of the mirror already wearing the Ladybug inspired swimsuit. It was the same style as Marinette's but red with black polka dots.

"I'm loving this!" Alya posed in front of the mirror, already taking several photos. "Let's take a quick picture"

Alya quickly motioned for Marinette to stand with her in front of the mirror. In a matter of seconds Marinette was awkwardly standing in front of the mirror, smiling nervously at her reflection and waiting for the picture to be taken. Alya took several shots in different poses, while Marinette stood stiff as a statue wishing that Chat Noir will never find out about this, he would never shut up about it if he did. As soon as Alya was finished, Marinette made her way back to the dressing room and change back.

Little did she know that Alya was sending the picture to the person she least wanted to see it...Chat Noir himself.

* * *

Adrien stood next to his best friend, looking at some new video games when his phone buzzed. Well both his and Nino's phone buzzed. However, Adrien was already focused on the new Ultimate Mega Strike game he didn't even bother to see what the message was. Nino on the other hand, diverted his attention down to his phone and went silent.

"Woah, dude..." Nino tapped Adrien and stole his attention. He began blushing, never moving his eyes from the screen. "We should have went swimsuit shopping with the girls..."

"What?" Adrien was now confused. Judging from Nino's expression, he seemed like he was regretting every life decision he has ever made. Yet he was red, and seemed as if he was enjoying the sight of whatever was on his phone. Curious now, Adrien reached for his own phone and opened a message from Alya. It was a picture. A very unexpected picture that he had to take a second to process the image. He was taken aback. In the picture stood Alya in a ladybug inspired swimsuit, posing In front of the mirror. Standing next to her was Marinette in a Chat Noir inspired Swimsuit, awkwardly smiling at her reflection and nervously posing. But she was adorably...sexy. Her figure was lean and built, something he has never notice before on his timid and delicate classmate. Her curves seemed to have carved themselves as he had noticed them just now. And to top it all, she was wearing Chat Noir merchandise. A Chat Noir swimsuit!. Something that made him blush as much as Nino.

"Dude, let's go find them" Nino looked at him desperately, almost as if he is hoping to find the girls in the middle of trying on their swimsuits. Adrien nodded in agreement and the two boys left the store in a rush. Ten feet away from the store video game store they run into the girls, leaving the boys slightly disappointed.

"Hey guys!" Alya waved. Marinette stood next to her, holding a shopping bag and blushing slightly while she also waved at the boys. "Did you get my picture? What do you think? I was going to post it on the Ladyblog, I thought they were super cute"

"D-did you get it?" Nino nervously asked.

"No. we found some other ones" Alya smiled, nudging at Marinette. "Mari here bought this super cute one, she looks soooo hot"

"Alya!" Marinette blushed, scolding her best friend from further embarrassing her in front of Adrien. Adrien also turned slightly more red then before as he looked at his clumsy classmate, imagining her in a bikini. He soon shook off his thoughts and mentally scolded himself once more for thinking such things. He loved Ladybug and Marinette was just a special friend...

"W-what about you?" Nino looked at his girlfriend shyly.

"Me? yeah I got some cute ones. You will see" She winked at him.

Adrien's phone buzzed, and this time it was Nathalie calling. It was time for him to go to his photoshoot and he was now slightly upset, wishing he could spend more time with his friends.

"Sorry guys" Adrien sighed. "I have to go, duty calls"

"Can I hitch a ride?" Nino asked.

"Yeah, no problem" Adrien smiled and then looked at girls. "I'll see you girls tomorrow. Bye!" Adrien and Nino waved goodbye before they left and then disappeared in the crowd.

"I don't know about you girl, but I could still use some shopping" Alya turned to her best friend and Marinette laughed in agreement. The two girls continued on their shopping spree. Checking out each store and trying on different clothing. However, between the fun time she was having with her best friend, Marinette was feeling watched again. But the feeling was much stronger and a lot less comfortable than before. It left her almost paranoid, or feeling like she was crazy. She was afraid to bring it up to Alya, scared that she might think she is seeing things. But Marinette felt eyes on her and it bugged her. While they walked to the next store, a tall figure walked past them. He wore a dark jacket and a baseball cap that covered his face. But as Marinette walked past this person she could have sworn she saw his eyes stare at her intensely. It was very wicked and extremely uncomfortable, so she looked away and continued on her way with Alya. After walking a few feet, Alya tugged at her arm.

"Girl" She spoke with a little concern. "Do you know that guy we just walked past?"

"No? why?" Marinette looked at her best friend confused.

"The way he looked at you was a little creepy" Alya was now worried.

"I know I saw it too." Marinette shrugged and looked behind her. She saw him again. The dark figure she just walked past was now making his way toward the two girls. "A-Alya...we should keep walking"

"What? why?"

"I think he is following us now" Marinette tugged at her arm.

"Oh hell no he is not" Alya pulled away from Marinette's grip and turned to walk towards the man, but Marinette was quick to grab her arm and stop her.

"No! Alya, you don't know if he is armed, he could hurt you" Marinette pleaded.

"I'd like to see him hurt me in a public place" Alya tried pulling away once again but Marinette wasn't letting go.

"I don't want to see you get hurt" Marinette looked at her with worried eyes. "Let's just try to lose him and if he keeps following us we can let the security know"

Alya was no longer trying to fight Marinette's grip. She looked at her friend and sighed with an agreeing nod. The two girls quickly turned around and made their way to another store. As they tried looking around the shop they saw him, still trying to make his way to them, so they left and went into another store. Within minutes he was there again. It was a constant cycle, going from store to store and playing clever tricks to shake him off but somehow the man would still find them. They came to a their last and final store. A shoe store, both shaken and panicking from this chase. They hid in the tall aisles of the store, peeking over to watch the crowd pass by outside. The man walked by the store without acknowledging it, and immediately the girls felt relieved. What felt for hours, the man appeared to have been following them and they now were able to shake him off.

"Let's go home" Alya suggested. Marinette didn't hesitate to agree and the two girls left the store. They still looked over their shoulders as they made their exit from the shopping center and toward the bus stop. They were able to catch the bus before it left the station and the two felt instant relief as soon as they sat down. Marinette looked outside, sighing. But her breathe was soon caught in her throat. While the bus was leaving the stop, there stood the same man staring at her with a wicked smile. A chill ran down her spine and she sat their frozen as the bus took off.

* * *

Later that night, Adrien sat at his desk with a page of the lady blog up on his computer screen. He stared at Alya's most recent post, the same picture he received earlier today. With a pink tint painted on his cheeks he sighed. He couldn't unsee this image, it has been on his mind since. In fact, he couldn't stop thinking about Marinette.

"Are you ok kid?" Plagg munched on some cheese as he looked up at his holder.

"What is wrong with me Plagg, I can't stop thinking about Marinette" Adrien looked at the small black cat and frowned. "And after seeing this picture it has gotten worse"

"It's obvious" Plagg rolled his eyes. "You have a crush"

"What? No, that can't be it. My heart belongs to my lady" Adrien shook his head in denial, refusing to believe in the Kwami's words. "Maybe it's because we have been hanging out more. It has to be that"

"Keep telling yourself that" Plagg continued too eat his cheese.

"She is a great friend, I always have a good time with her" Adrien moved closer to the screen blushing. "Seeing her in the Chat Noir swim suit..."

"What about it?" His Kwami continued enjoying some cheese. Adrien groaned and sat back on his chair, staring at the ceiling of his room.

"I have to go see her Plagg..." Adrien spoke softly.

"Kid, You saw her all day today" Plagg rolled his eyes and munched on another piece of cheese.

"I have to go see her" Adrien stood up and looked at his kwami. Plagg recognized that look, and he was not happy to see it. "Plagg, Claws out!"

* * *

Marinette was now safe and in the comfort of her room. Quietly working on her Mother's dress and humming the latest Jagged stone song. While peacefully working, the events of today stole her thoughts. She couldn't stop thinking of the mysterious man that followed them. His wicked smile was stuck in her head and she couldn't help but feel a little paranoid. Even in her room, she had to stop and look around for any eyes watching her every move. The feeling of being watched was now stuck to her, but she shrugged it off as it is possibly just her still a little shaken from the events. She sighed and continued to measure out the fabrics.

"Marinette" Her mother's voice followed by a knock slightly made her jump. Sabine entered her room shortly and walked towards the girl. "There was another letter for you"

"A-another one?" Marinette turned to look at her mom. She stared at a clean white envelope with fancy handwriting spelling her name. Just seeing this new envelope made her slightly nervous. What could it possibly say now?

"Seems like your secret admirer really likes you" Sabine chuckled softly and handed her the envelope. Marinette hesitantly took the envelope and looked at it. "Goodnight sweetie, don't stay up too late"

"Goodnight Maman" Marinette smiled softly and hugged Sabine before she left the room. She dropped the envelope on her desk and stared at it. She wasn't sure whether she was scared to open it or a little furious. Who could possibly be sending her such letters.?

"Are you going to open it?" Tikki's small voice spoke up. Tikki came out of hiding and looked at the envelope with curious eyes.

"I'm a little scared to read what it says" Marinette's gaze was intense. She was debating in her head whether to read it or to shred it. But her curiosity got the best of her and she reached to open the envelope.

 _Why do you keep running my love?_

 _I see you and all I want to do is embrace you and tell you how much I love you_

 _I saw you today, but you ran from me, like last time._

 _Maybe you are still processing the fact that you love me._

 _You will eventually realize that our love is meant to be..._

 _Let me just tell you one thing..._

 _Be careful what you post online._

 _I don't want any boys seeing you with such little clothing._

 _But you look stunning._

 _It's a better picture than what I have already._

 _Something to look at tonight until I see you again._

 _Because of that I will let this slide, I am not mad._

 _But next time my love, don't try to be such a little whore._

 _You are **mine** after all._

 _I don't want anyone else looking at you..._

 _Oh, Marinette._

 _You don't know how much I want for the day to come._

 _The day I get to hold you and kiss those pretty lips of yours._

 _One day..._

 _Until next time my beautiful Marinette._

 _-Your future Love_

"What the actual-" Marinette dropped the letter and sat back a little shaken. She couldn't believe it, was this someone's sick joke?

"Mari, you have to tell someone about this" Tikki floated to face Marinette and gave her a concerned look.

"No!" Marinette desperately looked at her kwami. "I mean, I can't believe it myself. This is all a joke, it has to be! I'll find out who it is and tell them to stop."

"But Mari-"

"This could be one of Chloe's little tricks" Marinette frantically spoke. "She is jealous of mine and Adrien's relationship after all, it has to be her"

"Marinette, you can't just accuse someone" Tikke tried to calm her down. "I think it's best if you tell someone about this"

"I can't Tikki" Marinette bit her lip and tugged at her hair. "This could be someone's prank, I'm sure of it"

"But-" Tikki was interrupted by a tap on the window. Marinette jumped from her seat and looked at the window. Her eyes then met Tikki's , cueing her to hide. Marinette then made her way to the window and opened it. Chat Noir jumped through the window and entered her room with his usual smirk slapped on his goofy face. Marinette was slightly relieved to see her partner, it gave her some sense of security.

"Hello Purr-incess" Chat bowed and smiled mischievously. "It's good to see you again"

"H-hello Kitty" She spoke nervously. She stood timidly in front of him, and he was quick to notice her small figure shake.

"Is everything ok Purr-incess?" Chat stepped a little closer to her hoping to make eye contact. "These claws won't scratch, I pinkie puurr-omise"

"It's n-nothing kitty" Marinette looked up at him, trying to hide her nerves. It was no use, Chat saw right through her and he smiled softly.

"You know you can tell me anything" He tried loosening the small tension, allowing her to relax in his presence. She seemed closed off but also desperate for something.

"I-it's nothing Chat" She shrugged and smiled. "I'm just happy to see you"

"hmmm..Well normally when someone is happy to see me they run up and hug me" Chat smiled at her and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Is that what you want kitty?" She giggled. "Because I'm afraid I can't give you one without a good reason" She crossed her arms and cocked a brow at him as if waiting for a good answer. She was starting to relax a little more, but he could tell she was shoving away whatever was wrong. He was curious to find out what was really going on.

"Aww come on, don't be like that. You really can't blame me" He shrugged. "A hug from a pur-incess would make any Cat's day"

"Did kitty have a bad day?" Deciding it was a good enough answer, Marinette slowly walked closer to Chat and wrapped her arms around him. Chat soon returned the embrace and hugged her tightly, pulling her close. Marinette had to admit that she secretly wanted a hug as soon as he stepped in her room. This hug was definitely satisfying her needs, relaxing her even more and making her forget about the letters. Chat was very warm and his strong arms held her firmly against him. She felt safe and very comfortable.

"No" Chat purred. "I had a really good day"

"and why is that?" Marinette continued to snuggle in his arms.

"Well, I happen to come across a certain picture" He crack a mischievous smile. Marinette seemed to have caught on what he was saying because she instantly froze in his arms. He didn't have to look at her to know that she was slowly turning red.

"Oh no, don't tell me you saw it" She separated from the embrace and desperately looked at him, searching for a hint that he was joking. But it was no use. "I was hoping you wouldn't see it"

"Oh but of course!" Chat smiled. "How could I not see our pur-incess in some Chat Noir merchandise. A swimsuit of all things! You looked absolutely stunning. I just never knew you were that big of a fan"

"Chat" Marinette sighed.

"Did you buy the swimsuit?"

"No, I bought a different one" She rolled her eyes.

"Awh but pur-incess" Chat Noir frowned. "You are my number one fan"

"I'll be your number one hater if you don't shut up" She shot him a glare.

"Sorry, Pur-incess" Chat Noir shrunk at her glare. Never before has she looked at him with such a scary glare. "I was just excited I guess" He nervously spoke as she diverted her attention away from him and sighed.

"Sorry Chat, I guess I was a little nervous" She admitted.

"Nervous about what?" Chat asked hesitantly.

"It's nothing" She paused for a moment avoiding eye contact, but within seconds she looked at him and smiled. It was even more obvious to Chat that something was wrong, but was she comfortable enough to tell him?

For the rest of the night Chat decided not to ask her any questions regarding her weird behavior. Instead he tried to enjoy her company, make her comfortable around his, and overall have a good time. Maybe one day she will be comfortable enough to tell him, and he hoped it was very soon. Between their enjoyable conversations and laughter, Chat noticed Marinette would act differently than her usually bubbly self. She would space out and stare at her desk as if something was there. Unlike the usual Marinette, tonight she seemed distant and reserved.

What was going on with his Marinette?

If only he had known sooner...

* * *

 **Not so fun fact about the author:**

 **What happened in this chapter (When Marinette walks past the creepy dude until he watches her bus leave) actually happened to me in real life! I know scary, and I'm very lucky nothing happened afterwards. Of course, I altered it a little bit to fit the story, but this man did basically the same thing. He had such a creepy stare when I walked past him, and he followed me and my friend everywhere. We hid in the shoe section and lost him. We quickly cashed out, told the cashier (but she just shrugged it off...rude), and we quickly went to my car, didn't even bother putting away the cart. As soon as I was pulling away he walked to my car and watched us leave!. I've had some stalkers in the past but none were as serious as this incident and none made me as scared as I was when this happened. Yes, stalking is a very real thing and I was very lucky because a lot of people unfortunately go through much worse. So be careful and if any of you feel like you are being stalked, don't pull a Marinette and just report it. I'd sleep much better knowing you are all safe. :)**

 **Anyways, on a happier note...Thank you all for reading! Keep those reviews coming!**

 **I will be starting college in about a week, so I apologize in advance because there will most likely be later updates. I have been getting busier by the day as move in day is just around the corner, but I will try to update asap before I move into my dorm next weekend. I just hope you guys will understand.**

 **The next chapter is going to be a fun one! (I'll try making it a long one too, just for you guys because I love you all!)**

 **Zushi out!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Guys!**

 **I'm sooooooo sorry. I definitely thought I was going to finish this chapter before move in day but I didn't realize I would get busier by the day. I am starting to get used to the whole college life and found some time to finish this chapter for you guys. I made it a little extra longer, a little more sweet, and less creepy moments for you guys.**

 **Again, I'm soo sorry for making you wait this long and because of that I have a bit of a surprise for you as an apology. Details at the end of the chapter!**

 **In the mean time, enjoy Chapter 5!**

* * *

It was Friday after school and the four teenagers were all packed and ready for this weekend getaway. Adrien picked them all up in his limo and they were off for their quick vacation in the woods. It was a long drive there, but the teens kept themselves entertained with the gaming system that the limo provided with the small tv screens it had. Time flew by and they soon pulled up onto the driveway of a huge three story mansion.

It was a beautiful mansion that had a cabin like style, with large windows and stone accents, there was even a large water fountain with a natural looking waterfall. It was located far from their beloved city and surrounded by tall trees and forest all around. Adrien casually stepped out of the limo and stretched. The air was a lot fresher and clean, and everything was so peaceful. His friends stepped out of the limo next, with their mouths agape and large eyes examining every piece of stone and wood of the mansion. They were all astonished of the structure in front of them. When Adrien said "cabin" the were not expecting it to be so big and tidy, however it is owned by Gabriel Agreste, what were they expecting?

"Adrien, this is not a Cabin" Alya kept her eyes on the building before her. "This is a Mansion!"

"Yeah, I guess it is" Adrien shrugged. "Nathalie and Gorilla will be staying in here, we are going to camp out in the back for the meteor shower"

"Darn it, you got my hopes up" Nino pouted.

"Sorry" Adrien softly laughed as he grabbed his bags. "Let's go set up our tents in the back yard, maybe by the river?"

"Sounds like a plan" Alya grabbed her bags and followed Adrien who started making her way to the back yard of the large cabin-mansion. Marinette and Nino followed closely as well and all four teens walked through the building and into the back porch. The porch over looked a steep hill that was filled with trees. It had a beautiful view of the large mountains and the forest that stretched for miles. There was a pool and a small patch of grass after coming down the steps from the porch. Following to the far end of the grass was a narrow dirt trail that led into the forest. Adrien started making his way through the path and his friends were a little hesitant at first, but they continued forward.

"Is this a hiking trail?" Alya asked as she took in the view of the trees. "How much of the land does you Dad own?"

"tons, I'm not sure exactly" Adrien added. "and yes, this is a hiking trail. The land is big enough where we have our own hiking trail. Sometimes there are outsider hikers in our trails."

"That's a little sketchy" Alya looked around the surrounding trees in caution.

"Yeah" Adrien laughed. "Don't worry we have our own security system that tells us if there is anybody in the property, we will be fine. We are also almost to the river"

"I could use a dip in the river right about now" Alya sighed.

Marinette walked closely behind her best friend, taking in the view and the fresh air of the forest surrounding her. She felt free and away from prying eyes, something she hasn't felt all week. The fresh scent of the forest relaxed her, and the quiet but natural subtle sounds made her at peace. She was starting to like it here, and even more because she will be enjoying the beauty of it with Adrien.

Within a couple minutes, they all arrived at a clearing. It was a grassy clearing right next to the river, with a few bushes here and there, it was a perfect spot for camping. There was a stone fire pit fill with ash from previous campfires, surrounded by logged benches. They all dropped their bags and stretched. It was already a long day for the all of them, and a nice refreshing dip in the river would make this day a whole lot better. Before sliding into their swimsuits, they began setting up their tents, one for the boys and another for the girls, hopefully they don't mixed it up somehow...

A few minutes go by and the boys finish setting up their tents. They both change into their swimming trunks and run towards the river. The girls were still inside their own tents setting everything up and changing into their new bikinis. As soon as the two of them were ready they left their tents and made their way to the river. Adrien slowly walked out of the river towards the girls and the world suddenly seemed to have gone in slow motion...

Adrien Agreste gracefully emerged from the refreshing water as if he was stepping out of a magazine cover. He was pulling his wet locks back and his carved torso glistened with droplets of water. He was drenched, but the droplets seemed to have made him glow and he moved towards them. Marinette was weak. She knew that her crush was fit, but she never realized how fit he actually was. She stared at every inch of him, taking in the hot model. He knees started to shake and her heart pulsed with excitement.

"A-Alya" Marinette barely managed to croak out. Her eyes were glued on the perfection that slowly made his way to the girls. The day seemed to have gotten hotter all of a sudden.

"enjoying the view?" Alya nudged her stiffened and red friend. "Man,, that boy is super fit. Just look at those abs, you can wash your clothes with them!" Alya giggled at her best friend, her words only made her redder.

"This is too much...I-I can't" Marinette squeaked.

"Oh sure you can." Alya winked. "You just take off this boring white swimsuit cover up and he will be drooling as much as you are"

"I-" Marinette gulped.

"Hey! took you girls long enough, the water feels so nice" Adrien was now standing about a foot away from Marinette.

"Great!" Alya smiled and started removing her shorts before running towards the water. "Girl, hop in!"

Hesitant at first Marinette began sliding off her white swimsuit cover up. Adrien wasn't expecting her to remove her dress so suddenly, slowly he watched her pull the white dress over her head and drop the fabric at her feet, revealing her new pink swimsuit. A blush painted onto his cheeks, he wasn't expecting anything so sexy. Marinette slowly pulled out her pigtails and let he dark locks fall slightly past her shoulders. She blushed even harder, feeling a little shy and nervous now as she looked up at the blond. Adrien was surely take aback. He studied her, seeing her carved and fit figure stand in front of him was even sexier then the picture he saw the yesterday. The pink swimsuit suited her very nicely, and it definitely showed off her curves. Her hair fallen so perfectly and seeing her wear such an attractive swimsuit drove Adrien crazy.

"I-uhh uhm" Adrien was flustered now, he couldn't even speak. She left him with his words in his throat and his face completely red. Marinette giggled and walked past him, making her way to the water to join Alya and Nino. Adrien rubbed the back of his neck as he watched her walk away, he was mentally face palming. "Stupid" He muttered to himself.

All four of them enjoyed the next couple of hours swimming. Adrien had a hard time keeping himself from eyeing Marinette and Marinette had a hard time keeping herself from drooling all over Adrien. Adrien's pearly white smile and wet messy hair was a sight to see, and let's not forget when those abdominal muscles clench every time he laughs. The movement of muscles for even the smallest motion was surprisingly sexy and Marinette had a very hard time keeping to herself. She wanted to feel every one of those built muscles, touch his skin and feel him close to her. But how? if she can barely keep her composure. All she was able to do was blush in his presence and try to act normal.

Adrien was on a similar situation. Marinette unintentionally teased him with her laughs, her cute bikini and constant eye contact. Her bikini revealed a lot of Marinette, much more than he had noticed. The plunging neckline covered her modesty but still showed her plump chest. Her carved figure flaunting every curve in that bikini. He tried to compose himself, but he could feel his cheeks burn red hot and get a little nervous around her. Nino wasn't helping his situation at all. He knew what was going on through Adrien's thoughts and he saw him constantly looking at the bluenette. Nino would "accidentally" push his bestfriend towards Marinette, at one point the blonde's tumbling body almost knocked her over. Alya wasn't helping on Marinette's end either, pushing her over towards Adrien and falsely claiming that Marinette is drowning.

Marinette eventually had enough of Alya's games and left back to her tent to change into some dry clothes. It didn't take long for Adrien to go back to his tent as well.

* * *

Later that evening, the teens sat around the warm campfire, watching the sunset slowly disappear behind the mountains. They all casually chatted away, waiting for the sky to get darker and eventually become alive with white streaks of light shooting across the black canvas. Adrien stiffly sat a foot away from Marinette, he was having a hard time casually speaking to her now. He wasn't sure what it was but he felt a little more nervous than he usually was in her presence since their time in the river. Her bluebell eyes were staring at the dancing flames in front of her. She was balled up on her chair, snuggled up in a knitted pink sweater and yoga pants, while also clutching a blanket closely for warmth. Her hair was still mildly wet from swimming in the river and she let out small little shivers every now and then. It took everything in Adrien's power to keep himself from scooting closer to her and letting her cuddle up next to him for his warmth. The light from the fire dimly lit her face just right. She looked beautiful and he couldn't stop staring and absorbing the beauty she carried. A small blush grew warm across his cheeks as he studied her face profile. Within a few minutes Marinette felt his eyes on her and she looked at him. Her bluebell's met his emerald orbs and they both froze for a split second. Marinette was the first one to relax, and she loosened up a soft smile. Her subtle smile kept him stiff as a rock on his seat as he was aweing at her.

"Everything alright?" She asked.

"Y-yeah" Adrien blushed. "I-I was just watching the fire"

"Yeah me too.." Her eyes drifted back at the flames, while taking a deep sighed. "It's actually quite mesmerizing"

"Yeah..." Adrien kept his eyes on her, softly exhaling. "Mesmerizing..."

Everything was peaceful again. Sitting by the fire and enjoying each others company. Nothing but the crackling sounds of the fire burning and wooden pieces turning to ash. It was calming. Soothing. Very relaxing, a feeling that Marinette needed all week. Taking advantage of this weekend get away. Taking advantage of getting to spend time with Adrien, and enjoy the peaceful sounds of the forest.

"This is taking to long, I'm so bored" Alya yawned from the other side of the campfire. Stretching her arms upwards and them quickly falling into a slouch, pouting her lips. "Let's do something fun"

She was never one to sit around and enjoy the peace. She was spunky and always on her toes, waiting for what happens next. Even though Marinette loved her best friend to the core, all she wanted was this. The relaxing atmosphere and sitting next to Adrien. But of course, Alya needed to spice things up.

"Like what?" Adrien looked at her curiously, waiting to see what she would come up with next.

"What about a good scary campfire story" Alya suggested with a smirk.

"Sure, do you know any good ones?" Adrien smiled at her, relaxing back on his chair. Alya mischievously smiled and nodded. Everyone now focused on her as she sat up and got ready to tell her story.

Marinette was not excited at all. She has had a creepy feeling, scary encounters, and those chilling letters all week. The last thing she wanted was another reason to be scared.

"Well..." Alya sat up and cleared her throat before she started. "there once was a girl who begged her parents to stay home alone while they left for the night." Alya spoke in a dark tone, the fire illuminated her face so dimly. Her eyes went dark and mischievous, and her smirk, chilling. The light produced from the fire wasn't enough to shine past her figure, making the forest behind her a dark abyss. This was a perfect scene for a scary story, and Marinette wasn't excited. "Hesitant at first, her parents finally agreed to let her stay home alone instead of hiring a babysitter. So when she went to bed, everything was peaceful" Alya hummed, as she looked at everyone. "But..." Her face was now a little more intense than before. "After she went to bed she started hearing this noise, almost like a dripping sound"

Marinette slightly shivered, trying to hide the fact that she was already starting to get scared.

"So the little girl checked the window to see if it was raining, but the sky was clear and quiet. So she went back to sleep. Seconds later she heard the same noise again"

There was a very faint rustle in the bushes. Marinette's head snap towards the dark trees behind her, but everything was still and quiet. Alya continued telling her story.

"So she got up and turned on the lights, and looked everywhere. The hallway, the bathroom, the other bedroom, and even the living room and kitchen. She found nothing...So she went back to bed, letting her hand fall off the side of the bed and hang. Within seconds, she felt her hand being licked by a wet tongue. She started feeling a little more secure now, because she knew her guard dog was under her bed and letting her know he was there by licking her hand" Alya smiled, but it was a very displeasing smile. "The dripping sounds started again a few minutes later, and the girl had enough. The girl got up and turned on her light, open the closet door and she froze..."

Marinette sat there, stiff as a rock and paler than the moon. She didn't want to hear what was next, she would rather watch the flames for hours than continue to listen to scary stories. The vibe that lingered around was now dark and intense. Very uncomfortable for the bluenette. But Alya continued.

"There in her closet, her dead dog hung and blood dripped from his cold corpse. Bloody letters written 'Humans can lick too'" Alya smirked, and looked at everyone's faces. Nobody but Marinette seemed to have been moved. The boys sat there more relaxed than they should be after they hear a scary story.

"That's it?" Adrien asked her. Nino yawned loudly and stretched.

"That was really lame, it wasn't even scary" Nino added.

"Oh c'mon! That was just the first one!" Alya crossed her arms and sat defensively.

"Wait, t-there is more?" Marinette slightly shivered. That short story was enough to give her the creeps. Just thinking about it sent shivers down her spine. The fact that someone could be in your house without your knowledge...someone invading your personal space and privacy and someone harming your beloved animal friend.

"Of course! you aren't scared, are you?" Alya smirked, she clearly knew that Marinette was already scared.

"N-no! of course not. Don't be silly" Marinette let out small hesitant laughs, trying to laugh it off but her face clearly showed fear.

"Ok, this next one is about a man and a woman who come home one day and they find their dong choking on something..."

"Boooooorring!" Nino interrupted. "I've heard this one before, they find their dog choking on a human finger and it turns out someone was hiding in their house and waiting to kill them. It's so not scary"

"Fine! Since your the expert why don't you tell us one?" Alya rolled her eyes and frowned at Nino.

"Watch and learn sweetie" Nino smiled and stood up. He rolled his shoulders before facing his friends and smirked. He looked just as chilling as Alya, if not even more. The atmosphere around them instantly get intense and Marinette shivered at Nino's cold stare. "One night there were these four teenagers, much like this group. They were camping out in the woods, just like us-"

"Booooooooooooorring!" Alya booed, only to earn a cold glare from Nino. The vibe around the campfire left just as fast as it came, instead it was tense.

"Excuse me but I barely even started"

"It's already really lame, I don't like it. Next!" Alya rolled her eyes.

"You want scary? I'll show you scary!" Nino, who was clearly annoyed started running towards his girlfriend. Alya swiftly got up from her seat and ran off laughing, Nino followed closely behind her, disappearing into the dark woods.

"You are going to have to catch me first!" Their laughter could be heard as they ran faster away from the fire.

It was now just Marinette and Adrien. Marinette sat frozen in her seat, her eyes frantically examining the dark surrounding trees. She was terrified, and she tried everything in her power not to show how scared she was. She was now feeling those same prying eyes from somewhere in the dark woods.

"Are you ok?" Adrien immediately took notice of her current state. "You are shaking, are you cold?"

"N-No! I'm fine, thanks" Marinette's bluebells where darkened with fear. She was scared and she looked at him as if she was scared of him. His heart slowly dropped at the sight of her. But then he got an idea.

"Mari" Adrien smiled. "Can I show you something?"

"What is it?" She looked at him confused this time, but she still kept her defenses up.

"first I need you to trust me" Adrien stood up and reached out to give the girl his hand. She looked at his hand and then looked back up at him, still confused. She was very hesitant and he chuckled. "I promise you I am not planning anything funny, you will like what I will show you"

"O-okay" Marinette slowly reached for his hand, trusting his word but still very cautious.

"Follow me, and don't say anything" Adrien firmly grasped her hand and started walking towards the forest. They were slowly leaving the warming light of the campfire and into the cold darkness. Marinette internally panicked, clutching to Adrien's arm and looking at every direction. They were walking deeper into the forest, where everything seemed to be a threat. The tree branches looked like swaying hands that reached for her, bushes that seemed to have a pair of eyes on it own. The howling sounds of the chilly breeze weaving through the forest. Adrien seemed calm as he marched on through the reaching hands and staring bushes. His calm aura relaxed Marinette just a little bit. His presence was enough to convince her that she would be ok, but that same feeling of being watched never left her, in fact...it got worse.

"W-where are we going?" Marinette asked. She was very nervous as she clutched into Adrien's arm.

"We are just about...here!" Adrien hummed as he stopped by tall dark trees.

"Where are we?" Marinette looked around her, she couldn't see anything special about the place that Adrien has brought her to. They were both standing in the middle of the forest, dark trees and bushes surrounded them and the sounds of the forest filled her ears. It was super dark, Marinette could barely make out Adrien's face in the pitch black. The longer they stood there the atmosphere grew more and more eerie. She continued to feel watched again and it was frightening to her. Adrien released himself from his grasp and quietly moved away. He somehow disappeared in a matter of seconds and Marinette panicked.

"A-Adrien?!" She reached out around her in the dark, searching for him. "Where are you?!". Her heart raced with fear, chills ran down her spine and her head scrambled with impossible scenarios. She somehow got lost in the forest, and her line of thought was not helping as everything scary came to mind."Adrien!". Suddenly the forest became alive. Everything seemed to have become a threat again, everything seemed to have the intention of harming her and watching her. Then everything stopped. There was a snap of a small twig. Her attention whipped towards the small sound and the forest went still. Nothing could be heard but her panicked breathing and her racing heart thumping against her chest. "A-Adrien?". She softly called for him, but there was no answer.

Seconds later, just out of the corner of her eye a flash of light pulsed and clicked within the dark abyss of the forest. The sound was almost like a camera shutter, followed by a few rustling sounds. Marinette looked towards the source and she froze like a deer in the headlights. Nothing. She could see nothing and that's what terrified her.

More rustling sounds began to sound, making it's way closer to her from another direction. At this point Marinette couldn't move and her heart dropped. She was ready to face whatever emerged from the dark.

The figure came into view...

"Marinette?" Adrien's warm voice whispered her name.

"Adrien" A huge sense of relief fell upon her and she walked towards him. "Don't you ever do that again" She scolded.

"Sorry, Mari" He nervously laughed. "I just wanted to see if it was there."

"What is?"

"you will see, but for now can you trust me again?" Adrien stepped closer and once again offered his hand.

"Are you going to leave me stranded in the dark again?" She looked at his hand before hesitantly reaching out.

"I promise you it won't happen again" His voice was calming and it relaxed her from the fright she just had.

"Fine" She took his hand and she was pulled closer to him. She was now inches away, close enough to feel his warm.

"I need you to close your eyes for me and promise that you won't open them until I tell you to" His hot breath licked her ears and it sent a tingle down her spine. Blushing she nodded and hummed in agreement before closing her eyes and allowing him to lead her. He moved behind her, slightly pressing himself against her back. His hand reached around to cover her eyes and his other hand firmly holding her upper arm for leading. Marinette blushed as soon as she felt his whisper in her ear. "Ready?".

Marinette nodded and he lightly nudged her to start walking. She allowed him to move and direct her body to wherever he wanted her to go.

After walking through a couple bushed and stepping over large tree trunks, Adrien halted her body and smiled. He didn't remove himself from behind her, nor remove his hand.

"A-are we here?" She asked, timidly.

"Shhh, relax" He whispered. "Listen. What do you hear?"

Calming her breaths, she focused on the sounds around her. The sound of an owl in a distance hooting, the crickets chirping and the relaxing rustle of tree leaves moving with the subtle breeze. Suddenly, these sounds were not so scary anymore. Everything was relaxing. The stillness of the night was alive and the sounds were beautiful. She could hear Adrien's shallow breaths nest to her ear and her heart pulsing with warmth.

"Now take a deep breath and smell the fresh air" He whispered once more, still not moving from behind her.

Again, she did what he told her and inhaled deeply. The fresh forest scent filled her nose. It was a scent so refreshing and organic, she didn't notice it before. The scent of trees was soothing, and she relaxed even more.

"What do you feel?" Adrien asked.

Another subtle breeze blew against her smooth skin. It was chilling but refreshing. She felt Adrien's warmth behind her, and she was feeling very comfortable. She felt her cheeks heat up as his firm chest pressed against her back and his chin resting on her shoulder.

"Now for the best part. Open your eyes" Adrien whisper, and he removed himself from her, taking his warmth with him. As soon as she opened her eyes she was confronted with a billion bedazzling fireflies. They illuminated a faint small glow as they floated in silence. It was as if the sky has fallen and she was walking among the stars, Marinette was amazed by the glowing insects twinkling before her. She wasn't scared anymore.

"I used to be terrified of the dark" Adrien stood next to her, looking up at the fireflies as well. "I had to sleep with the light on or with my parents as a kid. My father wasn't all that happy about it, but then one day we came for a family vacation."

Adrien sighed.

"One night there was a power outage and I was extremely scared. So my mom tried to calm me down, and she took me here. She said 'listen to the forest, smell the fresh scent, feel it.'. For some reason that helped calm me down and then she showed me these fireflies saying something like 'see the forest. There is nothing to be afraid of, there is beauty in just about everything, even the scary darkness. You just have to find it deep within, and then you will realize that it really isn't that scary.'" Adrien looked at Marinette who was looking back at him. He blushed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. " This became our little scape whenever we vacationed and whenever the fireflies were out. She would always say that she pulled a million stars to show me how much she loved me, and each time we visited she pulled a million more. It always cheered me up"

Marinette smiled sweetly, and Adrien slowly started getting more nervous.

"I-I thought I should pull down the sky for y-you" Adrien spoke and Marinette blushed bright red, looking with stunned eyes at Adrien. He soon became flustered as he realized what he just said. "I-I mean! -Uh- I mean to cheer you up! like how it did for me"

Marinette giggles, softening the brief awkward atmosphere between them. "thank you Adrien, this was really sweet and it helped"

Marinette continued watching the fireflies fly around her and Adrien just watched her smile light up by the small glowing bugs. She was way more relaxed than before, and she no longer looked at him with fearful bluebells. Instead those eyes looked at him so sweetly and his stomach would flutter. He watched as a small illuminating bug hovered over her nose and those cute bluebell eyes crossed. She looked silly now, and he couldn't help but to let out a small laugh only to be accompanied with hers.

"Marinette?! Adrien?!" Nino's voice called for them from afar, stopping their small exchange of laughs. "The meteor shower started! "

"I guess we should head back?" Adrien suggested. He wished to stay, enjoy this time alone with her and as much as Marinette also wanted to stay and enjoy this special moment with Adrien, she nodded in agreement. Alya was sure to be asking questions when they return home about this and if they were to stay longer she could only imagine what Alya could be thinking. Adrien offered his hand and Marinette gladly took it before the two headed back to the fire.

* * *

Alya and Nino were already laying on the grass watching the sky before the other two teens joined them. The sky was alive now,the stars shimmered and looked like frozen fireflies above them. While others seemed to have raced across the sky and left a long white path behind it. It was a beautiful sight too see as dozens of meteors showered the sky with white streaks.

"Looks like a million shooting stars, does that mean we can make a million wishes?" Alya joked, breaking the silence between all of them.

"I guess that makes sense" Nino shrugged. "If you had one wish, what would you wish for?"

"I wish to find out who Ladybug and Chat Noir are" Both Marientte and Adrien froze at Alya's words.

"why would you waste your wish on that?" Marinette spoke nervously.

"Why not? Wouldn't you want to know who is behind those masks? I bet Chat Noir is a hottie" Alya cooed while nudging her blushing friend. Adrien remained silent and has seemed to have lost the ability to move.

"Alya!" Marinette scolded.

"Yeah, dude what the heck? I'm literally right here" Nino added, he sat up and gave Alya an unfriendly look.

"Calm down Nino" Alya sat up and gave him a hug. "I only have eyes for you. I'm just saying this because Marinette needs to find herself a boyfriend. She has never had one"

"Gee, thanks. Like I would have any chance with THE Chat Noir" Marinette rolled her eyes. "That dumb cat is head over heels for ladybug."

"Woah! looks like you have quite the grudge. Is someone jealous?" Alya teased. "and are you saying you have a crush on Chat Noir?!". Alya squeeled with excitement.

"W-what? N-no!" The bluenette stumbled with her words as she grew hot very quickly. "I-I'm just saying why would Paris' beloved hero suddenly show interest in a normal and plain girl like me. I-I don't like him like that."

Adrien didn't know what to feel now. He was being hammered with so many mixed feelings about everything that was unfolding within the group of teens about his alter ego. All he could do was lay in silence and pretend to show no interest in the conversation.

"Oh girl...well who said it had to be Chat Noir" Alya winked. "There are plenty of guys at our school who have crushes on you"

Adrien went pale. His attention was now on the conversation.

"Yeah...but you know why I don't-..." Marinette sat up and shrugged nervously, hoping that Alya will get what she is saying so she wouldn't have to openly tell everyone her secret crush, especially in front of Adrien

"Yeah, yeah..." Alya rolled her eyes and sighed. "Adrien, you have been awfully quiet. What would you wish for?"

"M-me?!" Adrien blushed at the sudden attention directed towards him. He was just glad it was too dark to tell that he was completely red. "I- I..."

"Why are you asking someone who has it all?" Nino interrupted, clearly unamused.

"well you never know!" Alya crossed her arms and pouted.

Adrien laughed, glad that his best friend saved him from the situation. Alya just shook her head and yawned.

"I think I'm going to bed now, goodnight" She stood up and stretched before making her way to the tents.

"Yeah dude, I think I am too" Nino stood up as well and followed his girlfriend back to the tents.

It was now both Adrien and Marinette alone again, sitting on the field of grass. The air was silent and chilly and both of them sat nervously, watching the sky dance with streaks. The sounds of the forest around them seemed to have gotten louder and it filled Marinette's ears in a relaxing symphony. She took a deep breath and enjoyed this moment of serenity with Adrien. It was almost as if they went back to walk with the fireflies once more, but they were no longer walking amongst the stars. They instead laid in bitter sweet silence, wishing that they had the confidence to scoot closer to each other and snuggle in each other's warmth.

"Thank you" Marinette was the first to break the silence after a couple minutes.

"Hm?" Adrien hummed as he kept his gaze at the sky.

"For taking me to see the fireflies" Marinette spoke softly. "And sharing to me about your mother"

"I just thought you could use something to help you relax." Adrien smiled. The silence once again arose between the two of them, both their attention on the sky above.

"She sounds special" Once again Marinette broke the silence with a soft and soothing voice.

"She definitely was" Adrien softly spoke. Memories of his mom began replaying in his mind as if he was watching a mental movie. He smiled once more to himself, remembering those enjoyable youthful days with his beloved mother. "She would have liked you"

Marinette was silent, a little confused about what he had meant by that.

"She was just a beautiful soul, and I miss her so much" Adrien continued. "I'd waste my wish to see her again"

"I don't think that would be a waste of a wish" Marinette smiled.

"yeah?" Adrien turned his attention to Marinette. "What would you wish for?"

"ah.. well...I would wish for you to see you mother" Marinette lightly smiled nervously, looking back at him.

"Now that would be a waste of a wish for you" Adrien lightly chuckled. "But seriously what would you wish for?"

"I don't know" That was a lie. In reality she would wish she had the confidence to ask him out. She would wish for Adrien Agreste to genuinely like her so they could become a couple. But everything felt out of the question, and Marinette didn't have the confidence to do so.

"That's a lie. There has to be one thing you really want" Adrien laughed.

"I don't know, I guess I would wish for..." Marinette paused. "For all those Akuma attacks to stop" That wasn't at all a lie. But it definitely wouldn't have been her first wish if she had three.

"You are worried about the Akumas?" Adrien sat up a little worried. "Why?"

"Well, It has affected a lot of my friends. I'm scared of both them and my family getting hurt" Marinette spoke softly while she sat up. "I don't want to see Alya or Nino hurt again...or you"

"Mari..." Adrien scooted closer to her. "You shouldn't worry about me, I will be ok. Besides, we have Ladybug and Chat Noir protecting us."

"But what if they are not strong enough anymore, what if they can no longer help all of Paris?" Marinette slightly shivered.

"Mari." Adrien said sternly. Placing a few fingers under his chin and lightly moving her attention towards him. He looked at her blue eyes in a reassuring way. "I can promise you that they will always be able to protect us. They are both very strong, I'm sure they will take on anything that gets in there way, and if they can't then I promise you that I will protect you."

"A-Adrien" Marinette was stunned to stillness. He looked dead serious and this gave her a sense of security. She blushed and diverted her eyes down. "Thank you"

"Are you tired, You should probably go to sleep." Adrien added.

"In a bit" Marinette hummed. "I just want to enjoy this moment a little longer"

Adrien smiled and sat back close by the bluenette whose attention was once again up to the dark sky. It was late and both of them where very tired, but everything seemed right. The moment, the atmosphere, the still night with a beautiful natural show performed in the sky. Everything was relaxing. sitting by each other and enjoying each others presence. Marinette already felt like she has grown closer to Adrien. He opened up to her a little bit, he wasn't afraid of being vulnerable around her, and nothing made her stomach fill with butterflies more than the thought of that very moment. They were both comfortable with each other in a matter of weeks and she has grown to love him more than before. Everything was just so perfect...

A few minutes has past in silence. Something eerie has started to creep within the relaxing vibe of the current state. Marinette felt watched once more. The feeling felt so real, even Adrien had a chilling feeling of a pair of eyes watching from afar. Eyes that felt so hateful, it made him a little more alert with his surroundings. Marinette on the other hand needed to leave. These sudden feelings have been making her convinced that she was going crazy, maybe even paranoid.

"Goodnight Adrien" She stretched before sleepily walking back to her tent.

"Goodnight purr-incess" Adrien whispers quietly under his breath.

Marinette entered the tent where she stripped to her pajamas and slipped into the small bed that she and Alya made.

But she didn't notice that Alya wasn't in the tent...

A couple minutes later and Adrien almost falls asleep in the field. If it weren't for that weird feeling of not being alone...

He stands up and stretches. While half asleep he makes his way to the tents and enters one, assuming it was his and Nino's. Adrien's sleepy vision caught sight of a small figure, sleeping soundly underneath the sheets. Assuming it was Nino, Adrien pulled off his shirt and slipped into the empty spot next to Nino's sleeping figure...

* * *

Later that night, Adrien was slowly awoken by small camera shutters and flashes of light. There was some rustling outside the tent, and the camera sounds seemed to have been outside as well. But he was half awake and his conscious was barely there.

It was possibly Alya, or Nino...

Shrugging it off, Adrien fell back asleep, snuggling up next to something warm and a sweet scent of strawberries.

* * *

 _"Marinette" A whispering voice called out. "Marinette...what a beautiful name"_

 _"W-who is there?" Marinette stood in a dark abyss. A frightening void of nothing but a slimy voice._

 _"Marinette, you are so beautiful. I want to touch you...can I touch you?" The mysterious voice resonated against the walls of her head. The echoes of the voice rang in her ears and she felt trapped._

 _"No! get away!" Marinette held her ears, trying to block the voice._

 _"Marinette, we are meant to be" A dark figure emerged. Tall and gloomy, wearing a hat that shadowed his face, keeping it well hidden. A gloved hand reached out, moved closer to her. Marinette panicked, and she ran the other way. "Why do you run from me?"_

 _"Get away!" Marinette screamed, trying to run faster and away from the figure. But it seemed that nothing had worked and the chilling figure gets closer by the second. Then she tripped. Out of nowhere a bump emerged from the ground, and her foot got caught causing her to tumble forward. She didn't know what she can do now, the shadowy figure making his way closer...and closer...and she panicked, closing her eyes and waiting for events to unfold. His hands reach down to pick her up...and then...she was suddenly moving through the air as if she was flying. Arms held her securely against a beating chest and she seemed to have been transported into her beloved city of Paris. She was speeding by building like when she is Ladybug...only she was Marinette._

 _She looked up to see who had helped her escape the frightening man._

 _"Kitty?" To her relief it was none other than Chat Noir, carrying her bridal style across the roofs of Paris. He stopped and gently placed her on her feet before flashing his familiar friendly smiling and bowing down._

 _"Hello Purr-incess" He spoke with a prideful tone. "That scary man was going to hurt you, I had to save you. Forgive me for making you feel uncomfortable in any way"_

 _"Oh Chat!" Marinette ran towards him, closing the distance between them and wrapping him into a tight embrace. "Thank you"_

 _His body felt so warm, and so real against her small body. She could hear his heartbeat and his subtle breaths against her ears._

 _"Chat...Kitty_...Chat...Chat..."

The sound of his name awoke his conscious, and his eyes fluttered as he hummed in response.

"Chat..." The soft voice called once more.

"hm?" He hummed again, slowly waking up to the voice. His senses slowly woke up, feeling soft breaths against his bare chest and a weight holding him down. He smelled a fresh strawberry scent that filled his nose with delight.

"Kitty" The light whisper was heard and his eyes slowly opened. He was greeted with a small figure resting against his chest. Her small body shivered as she muttered his alter ego's name. She was stripped down to nothing but a pink sports bra and black spandex. He felt her shallow hot breaths lick his skin, as her warm body snuggled up and rested her head against his heart. His arm was wrapped around her, embracing her closely to him and he blushed. He realized it was Marinette and she was calling for him. Dreaming about his alter ego. His stomach fluttered. She looked so peaceful, so relaxed and comfortable, it almost felt right to have her there. The best part was her calling him. Calling him as if she didn't want him to leave.

Suddenly there was the sound of a camera shuttering. Multiple shutters were heard from the entrance of the tent and Adrien alarmingly looked up at the source. The sound of the camera seemed to have woken the sleeping beauty laying on his chest and she shuffled in his embrace. Her eyes fluttered up and she looked at the source of the sound.

"Good morning you two, crazy night?" Alya's snickering voice came from behind the camera and she looked up with a grin.

"A-Alya? What are you doing?" Marinette's tired voice yawned as she slowly processed the situation. "Wait...Alya?!" Marinette's eyes widened in realization. If her best friend was there, who was she cuddling with?

Marinette sat up quickly to look at the shirtless blond who sheepishly looked back up at her. The both instantly turn red

"Oh my gosh!" Marinette gasped.

"Look at you, all grown up. Your telling me everything later" Alya winked.

"What? No! it's not like that!" Marinette turned even brighter red.

"Oh honey, this is exactly what it looks like with you two dressed like that" She winked. "Plus the mess you made last night just adds to the story. You two must of had a wild night"

Marinette looked down at herself, realizing she was barely dressed in front of her crush. She panicked and reached for the nearest cloth to her and slid it on.

"Uhm...Mari" Adrien hesitantly spoke. "That's my shirt"

Alya snickered and if it were even possible, Marinette blushed even harder.

"Girl, just hurry up and get out here to pick up your mess." Alya laughed before exiting the tent.

"What mess?" Marinette, now confused, left the tent to see what her best friend could possibly be talking about. As soon as she stepped outside she saw her bag of belongings sprawled about in the grass before her. Pieces of clothing thrown every which way and her other belongings spilling out of her bag. "What happened?"

"I don't know gurl, you are the one to talk" Alya shrugged.

"What? but I didn't-"

"Adrien!" A woman's stern voice was heard from a distance. Adrien exited the tent as soon as the voice called out. Nathalie's tall figure followed by Gorilla's bulky one appeared from the tall trees.

"What's going on?" Adrien walked over confused.

"I want you to pack your things and come back to the mansion immediately. You will be escorted by gorilla on the way back. Make it quick" Nathalie seemed rushed and nervous.

"What?! Why?!" Adrien's toned was disagreeing with her orders.

"It is not safe out here anymore. Our security system has detected an outsider roaming around the area since last night, and it seems that they are still here"

* * *

 **Woohoo! Chapter 5 finished!**

 **Now for the surprise!**

 **G** **o to Deviant Art and Click on the search button. Then type in "Unlucky Bug chapter 5", you should tell which one it is after you search :). It's under my username "Zushikikatoka". If you have anymore problems please just private message me.**

 **I hope you enjoy my little gift as an apology, even though I am not the greatest at drawing.**

 **P.S.- I think I might add more pieces, I really don't know yet.**

* * *

 **I will try to update sooner, just please note that I am currently busy juggling college, sports and trying to find a job. But thank you all for your feed back I hope you liked this chapter and my little surprise. Keep those reviews coming and any questions, they make me so happy!**

 **Also, if you want more drawings let me know! I will try to make a few pieces for each chapter.**

 **Au Revoir!**

 **~Zushikikatoka**


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